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CTL intros new line of 'super-slim' LED monitors
Last we heard from CTL, the Portland-based company was pushing the rather underwhelming 2goPad SL10. We may not have been impressed then, but CTL's attempting to win us over again, this time with a set of three new LED monitors. Available in small, medium, and large, the 22-inch LP2151, 24-inch LP2361, and 27-inch LP2701 all offer 1920 x 1080 displays, 1000:1 contrast ratios (5000000:1 dynamic), two millisecond response times, and HDMI and DVI inputs. They also sport a helpful anti-glare coating and are apparently a quarter of the thickness of "traditional LCD monitors" -- whatever that means. Not exactly earth-shattering specs, but at $216, $258, and $330, we suppose they're not insanely priced, either. Hit the source links for more info, and check out the full PR after the break.
Nokia C7 rumored for T-Mobile launch under Astound moniker, to cost $80 on April 6th
If you've been listening to the Engadget Mobile podcast lately, you'll know that we don't much like this trend of using verbs as phone names, but T-Mobile clearly hasn't gotten the message, as one of its upcoming handsets is rumored to be called the Astound. What exactly this rebadged Nokia C7 is supposed to astound us with, we're not really sure. We've seen its Clear Black Display already, which is very nice, but we've also seen the dead OS walking that is its Symbian installation. Still, for $80 on contract, it doesn't necessarily have to compete with the crème de la Gingerbread to be an appealing option. Look out for it early next month, waving the Magenta flag with pride.
NVIDIA sends GeForce GTX 550 Ti into the $150 graphics card wars
It wasn't that long ago that we were commending ATI on the stellar regularity of its product launches while NVIDIA was floundering, yet now the roles are reversed and we're seeing NVIDIA flesh out its second generation of Fermi products with the midrange GeForce GTX 550 Ti presented today. Its biggest attraction is a $150 price tag, but it makes a major concession in order to reach that pricing plateau -- there are only 192 CUDA cores inside it, equal to the previous-gen GTS 450, but less than the celebrated GTX 460. NVIDIA tries to ameliorate that shortage of parallel processing units by running the ones it has at an aggressive 1800MHz allied to a 900MHz graphics clock speed, and it also throws in a gigabyte of RAM running at an effective rate of 4GHz. That too is constrained somewhat, however, by a 192-bit interface, rather than the wider 256-bit affair on its bigger brother GTX 560 Ti. What all these specs boil down is some decent performance, but few recommendations from reviewers -- mostly due to the abundance of compelling alternatives at nearby price points. Hit up the links below for more. Read - AnandTech Read - Tech Report Read - Guru3D Read - PC Perspective Read - techPowerUp! Read - Hexus
Genesi reduces price of Efika MX Smartbook, Smarttop, says it's for greater good
Back in September, we reported on the absurdly overpriced Efika MX Smartbook -- a little computer sporting a 10-inch display and a $349 price tag -- and it looks like somebody took note. The folks over at Genesi have reduced the price of their entire line of Efika MX products, dropping the aforementioned Smartbook to $199 and its desktop companion, the Smarttop, to $129. Of course, they did so with a bit of marketing flair, claiming the deal would open "the door even more for billions of people and businesses in emerging markets to affordable state-of-the-art computing and Internet access." Now, we're not calling anyone out here, but we're guessing we weren't the only ones who thought the Smartbook was just a tad too pricey. Full PR after the jump.
Orange launches OLED-donning San Francisco, doesn't break the Android piggy bank
Oh snap! This is exactly what Nokia needs right now -- another cheap Android handset to gobble up its wallet-friendly stronghold. What we're looking at here is Orange's oddly named San Francisco, a £99 ($154) pay-as-you-go Eclair handset crafted by ZTE. Much like its humble sibling Racer, Orange's 4.6-ounce offering is loaded with a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset, 3.2 megapixel camera, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, FM radio, and MicroSD expansion. Yet for the same price, the San Francisco somehow comes with a larger 3.5-inch 480 x 800 OLED capacitive touchscreen. This sure sounds like a tempting deal, but don't whip out your credit card just yet -- we'll give you a yay or nay once we've seen how the phone fares in real life. For now, check out the official promo video after the break.
Pew study finds majority of Americans don't want government to prioritize affordable broadband
We hold great respect for the Pew Internet and American Life Project, whose statistical practices are transparent, robust and rarely filled with logical holes, but we have to wonder why the organization decided to ask if Americans would support affordable high-speed internet using their tax dollars. 53% of 2,252 telephoned adults said it shouldn't be a major priority, which is significant, to be sure, but when Pew's 2009 study showed that most individuals without broadband don't want it, and their 2008 survey confirmed that 62 percent of dial-up users were still A-OK, we have to imagine researchers might have seen this coming. Those with broadband don't need it, those without it don't want it. Never mind about education, health, economic reform -- you know, all those other priorities. Nevertheless, these are interesting results, and if you're a proponent of the FCC's National Broadband Plan you'd best have a look.
Compaq CQ62Z speeds past Atom for $380, jury's out on battery life
We won't lie, the last time we bought a standard Compaq was in high school -- approximately eight months before the LCD hinge broke -- but it's not everyday you find a notebook for a netbook price. (Okay, it might not last as long on a charge.) This week, HP's silently launched the Compaq CQ62Z, which comes with AMD's new 2.2GHz V120 CPU, ATI Radeon HD 4250 graphics and a 15.6-inch LED-backlit display at a legitimately fantastic $380. 2GB of RAM, 802.11n Wi-Fi, a 250GB hard drive, DVD burner and a 6-cell battery round out the package, and you can grab a dual-core processor for a few ten-spots more. Personally, we're still hesitant, but it's been years now... forgive and forget, right?
HTC Wildfire hands-on (update: video!)
Some eager beavers went ahead and busted through the embargo dam this morning, so you should already be up to speed on the Wildfire's specs and vital statistics. For the latecomers, this is an Android 2.1 device with the same processor as HTC's fabled Hero, a 3.2-inch capacitive QVGA display, and an ambition to sate the market for an affordable, socially connected Android smartphone. It's slated for a release in Europe and Asia early in the third quarter of this year, and you can see all four of its tasteful color options in the exhaustive gallery of intimate photography below. Skip past the break for the full spec sheet and our early hands-on impressions of the Wildfire.%Gallery-93137%
Samsung Bada handsets of the future revealed in presentation slide
Just in case you had any doubts about Samsung's commitment to the physical keyboard, here's a slide of the Korean giant's Bada OS roadmap, filled with rubbery QWERTY buttons aplenty. At top left you can see the Wave -- which Samsung places in its "premium image brand" together with the Galaxy S -- priced at 20,000 Rubles (just under $700), followed by its as yet nameless and spec-less Bada siblings. Our interest is piqued most by the QWERTY slider that's sat so perfectly atop the 10,000-Ruble line, we wouldn't mind seeing the Super AMOLED screen tech trickling down to such a price point. We wouldn't mind that at all. All About Phones has also spotted two Windows Mobile and one Android handset during the presentation, though Sammy has been predictably recalcitrant about specs on those as well. All we're told is to wait for the autumn. Guess that will have to do. [Thanks, Muhammad]
AMD's Neo to hit nettops, all-in-one PCs soon
AMD's Neo ultra-portable platform was seen as something that just might rival Intel's mighty Atom in the oversaturated netbook space when it debuted back in January, but up until now, the system has remained largely in the background. Indeed, it has only found its way into a select few machines, none of which have managed to gain any sort of traction beside the sea of Atom-based alternatives. Now, however, it seems as if the chips -- which were originally engineered for ultraslim, thin-and-light laptops -- may find themselves shoved into an array of nettops and all-in-one PCs. Here lately, a slew of underpowered SFF-type desktops and PC-in-a-monitor type units have found favor with bargain hunters, and Bob Grim, the outfit's director of client marketing, isn't looking to miss a golden opportunity. To quote: "We've known all along that this type of technology would really work well in multiple platforms and multiple types of form factors. These CPUs perform better than the Atom processor, and the graphics are superior. These things... can play Blu-rays, they can play games."There's still no word on who exactly plans on equipping their future machines with this here platform, but considering just how tired we are of Intel's sluggish N270 and N280, we'll take all the competition we can get.
Nokia blasts out four affordable handsets for emerging markets
Hot on the heels of the 1606 and 3606 comes a foursome for emerging markets announced today not at CTIA, but at the Growing Together 2008 conference held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Getting us started is the €90 ($142) 5000 (ships in Q2), which checks in with a QVGA display, FM tuner, MP3 ringtone support, Bluetooth, GPRS connectivity and a 1.3-megapixel camera -- the firm's first at the aforesaid price point. Next up is the Q3-bound 2680 slide (pictured), which boasts a camera, FM radio and a manageable €75 ($119) price tag. Moving on, there's the 7070 Prism, which rocks those same geometric patterns we've grown to love (or hate) on the 7500, a voice recorder and a €50 ($79) sticker. Lastly, the 1680 classic (ships in Q2) arrives as the company's most "affordable cameraphone to date" at just €50 ($79). Go on, check out the whole gang in the gallery below! %Gallery-19657%
Dell offers up Blu-ray equipped Inspiron 1525 for $879
Grabbing a laptop with a built-in Blu-ray drive isn't at all difficult; finding one that's reasonably affordable, however, is. Starting today, users looking to pick up a new BD-equipped lappie can get their kicks for under nine bills, as the base model Inspiron 1525 can be fitted with a Blu-ray combo drive (and the requisite 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo T5550 processor) for the low, low price of $879. Kicking things up to a Blu-ray burner will tack on another $200, and given the 1,280 x 800 screen resolution, we get the idea you'll be utilizing that HDMI output in order to enjoy the 1080p capabilities (if it'll even reach above 720p). Still, the aforesaid configuration is pretty lacking in most respects (1GB of RAM, 80GB HDD, and a woefully underwhelming GMA X3100 graphics accelerator), but hey, at least you'll have Blu-ray! Grab yours now if you're situated in Canada, Europe or the US of A.
Wii Warm Up: In comparison
We don't often try to fan the flames of rampant fanboyism around here, despite the name. Oh, sure, we may sometimes poke a little fun at other epic titles, but for the most part, we're all about letting everyone do their own thing, and we're even behind owning multiple systems! Loyalty is great and all, but so are options, amirite?But sometimes, we get a little tired of the remarks about the Wii's graphics, games, and output. We complain sometimes, but honestly, we've got it pretty good. Our system doesn't break once a month, and our flagship games are looking pretty sweet, unlike certain other super-hyped titles that failed to deliver (in all fairness, we're mostly dealing with long-running franchises, but still). We don't usually end up with a game that doesn't live up to certain promises, either. On top of that, our console is pretty affordable, and you can usually get just about anyone to play with you! All in all, we'd say Nintendo fans actually have it pretty good right now. How about you guys? Do you feel pretty good to be Wii owners?
Universal Studios VP sez HD DVD is 'more affordable' than Blu-ray
As if the format war really needed another quote for fanboys on both sides to jump on and argue over, none other than Ken Graffeo (an executive vice president at Universal Studios) threw a proverbial can of lighter fluid right on the fire. Responding to the recent Target reports that misinterpreted Sony's purchase of an "end cap" for Blu-ray players as the ousting of HD DVD from the store, Ken went on to say that "standalone HD DVD players are still much more affordable than Blu-ray players," and moreover, he reportedly added that HD DVD provided a better experience, and welcomed a direct comparison between movies such as 300 and Blood Diamond, which are available on both formats. 'Course, there certainly seems to have been a lot more price cutting going on in the HD DVD camp of late, but regardless of price quarrels, what does this say about Universal's chances of actually supporting Blu-ray anytime soon?
CoroWare's CoroBot encourages DIY robotic deployment
Homegrown robotics have been sneaking around the scene for quite some time, and while we've seen instances of DIY kits coming in at (somewhat) reasonable prices, CoroWare is apparently hoping to nab a bit more of that untapped market. Hailed as an "affordable and flexible mobile robot for researchers, hobbyists, and developers in the industrial and service robot segments," the CoroBot indeed packs quite a punch. Judging by the 1.2GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 20GB hard drive, front and rear IR sensors, 640 x 480 resolution camera, and eight digital inputs / outputs that this thing sports, we don't envision it shipping out to many newbies regardless of the marketing. Furthermore, the device is compatible with Microsoft Robotics Studio, sports an option for a robotic arm capable of four degrees of freedom, and even boasts five pounds of base payload capacity. Unfortunately, for those of you still hoping to snap one up on the cheap, chances are you'll be sorely disappointed by CoroWare's definition of inexpensive, as the June-bound bots start at $2,499 and head north to $3,499 when tricked out.
Toshiba intros uber-cheap TDP-S35U DLP projector
If you're guilty on numerous counts of projector envy, and don't feel like sharpening up your DIY skills to build your own rig, Toshiba has finally unveiled an option that just may cure your coveting. The TDP-S35U takes a small step down in specs from it's T45U counterpart, but manages to take a nosedive in the oh-so-critical price department. Sporting a silver case adequate for any board / living room scenario, the 6.6-pound mobile projector rocks an SVGA resolution, 2000:1 contrast ration, 2000 ANSI lumens, DLP technology, and a wireless remote to boot. The selection of ports aren't too shabby either, as it manages to boast dual VGA inputs, composite / S-Video connectors, audio inputs / outputs, and a VGA passthrough to forward the signal onto an additional display. Most importantly, however, the TDP-S35U can deliver that big screen delectation for just $699 when begins shipping later this month.
