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LG's GBW-H10N Blu-ray burner headed to Taiwan
Watch out BenQ, because your fellow manufacturers over at LG also have a 3-in-1 Blu-ray burner poised for release, and not only does it write to BD-R discs at a blistering 4x speed, it's coming to market several weeks before you're getting your BW1000 out the door. In fact, LG's Taiwanese subsidiary is claiming that the GBW-H10N internal drive will hit Chinese shores in the next few days, and at only $923, it's something of a steal compared to dedicated players going for $1000 and up. Of course the BenQ model still holds a few key advantages over this unit, most significantly its ability to burn 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray discs as well as its faster write speeds for most recordable DVD and CD formats. So for now it looks like you'll have to decide whether speed or capacity is the more important attribute, but as HDBeat alludes to, more competition in the market means that at least a few next-generation devices will probably have all the features you're looking for.[Via HDBeat]
BenQ reveals price, release window for BW1000 Blu-ray burner
So we finally got some solid release deets on BenQ's anticipated BW1000 3-in-1 Blu-ray burner (also known as the "Trio): it'll be coming out in late August, and set you back 799 euros, or a little over $1,000. As you'll recall, that grand is buying you an internal drive that writes to BD-R discs at 2x speed, to DVDs between 4x and 12x, and to CDs at 32x speed, while obviously playing back Blu-ray content at full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution as well. You're also getting the usual suite of features designed to dampen vibration and ensure data integrity, which will come in especially handy for folks who can't afford to be wasting those initially-expensive next-gen discs. Keep in mind, though, that this model won't be the only option available to you by the time it hits stores, so make sure to check out the supported formats and features on competing units from Pioneer, Samsung, Panasonic and Philips before you lay down all that cash.[Via Yahoo]
BenQ officially unveils Trio Writer BW1000
We've gotten a few early tradeshow looks at this but BenQ has finally made it official, putting a price of €799 ($1,022 U.S.) on their BW1000 Blu-ray burner. The drive will ship at the end of August and is equipped with three lasers to write to CDs, DVDs and BDs. It's basically the same as the Panasonic LF-MB121JD, read and writing BD-Rs and BD-REs at 2x speed. They're also touting their Precision Tilt Control System, SolidBurn and WriteRight technologies to avoid coasters. At $20 per BD-R blank, that should be very reassuring.[Via CDRinfo]
More from BenQ: the webcam-equipped Joybook T31
The R55 wasn't the only Joybook BenQ had on display at Computex; the company was also showing off its 13-inch T31, which is the first notebook in this lineup to feature a built in webcam (with Sony having already snatched up the MotionEye name, this 1.3 megapixel cam is known as the QEye). Like the R55, this model also features an UltraVivid display (with a 220-nit brightness, though, as opposed to 180-nit), SRS Trusurround XT audio enhancement, and a dual core processor, but the T31 eschews Intel's Core Duo chip for a Turion 64 X2 from AMD. Rounding out the specs are ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 graphics pushing WXGA resolution, four USB 2.0 ports, and a 5-in-1 card reader that can handle SD/MMC, MemoryStick, and the still-kicking xD format, but unfortunately, prices and release dates remain elusive.[Via AVING]
BenQ's Joybook R55 boasts 16ms response time
We're still digging out from under the avalanche of technology that was the 2006 Computex show, and in our efforts we stumbled across AVING's encounter with the latest BenQ Joybook we've been hearing about. The R55 sports a Core Duo processor, Bluetooth 2.0 and NVIDIA's 256MB GeForce Go 7400. What makes it noteworthy, though, is the 16ms response time (many laptops range in the '20s), which they claim is the "world's fastest" when it comes to 15.4-inch WXGA laptops. This R55 uses the UltraVivid technology, which includes a brightness-boosting Display Brilliance Enhancement Film to improve visibility and greatly reduce the dreaded LCD ghosting effect. We know it's still nowhere near the quickness of a faithful CRT, but that's no reason to frown little girl. It is, after all, called the Joybook.
BenQ-Siemens E61 music phone ready to rock 'n roll
Before we go any further, let's lay out two very important points about BenQ's E61. First, it sports 1MB (yes, that's "megabyte") of internal shared memory. Second, it bears a strong resemblance to a doorstop. That being said, if you're still reading, the the tri-band GSM E61 could end up being a good bargain for you if you're in Europe -- Virgin Mobile is launching it for free with contract. The MiniSD slot will necessarily be where all your tuneage resides, and BenQ gets you started with a 512MB card in the box. Once you load it up, music playback is good for about 10 hours. Not much else to write home about -- you get a VGA camera, passable 160 x 128 display, and with that wedgelike design, you'll be able to chock aircraft and pry off manhole covers.[Via Stuff]
The M81: BenQ-Siemens gets in touch with its sporty side
Apparently, the folks at BenQ are looking to make a run on Nokia's "active lifestyle" category of phones, unleashing the shock / splash / dust-resistant M81 today in Munich. Besides the navigation (GPS module sold seperately) and weather clients, built-in flashlight, and relatively tough exterior clad in "high-quality synthetics and rubber," not much differentiates the device from your typical midrange candybar: 900 / 1800 / 1900 GSM with EDGE data, 176 x 132 display, 1.3 megapixel camera, music player, and MicroSD slot in your choice of Graphite Black or Steel Blue. The M81 starts shipping to joggers and snowboarders in August.[Via Slashphone]
HD optical disc burners at Computex
Adding to the growing list of Blu-ray burners we've seen so far from Philips, Pioneer, Samsung, and BenQ is a new unit from ASUS that was being shown off at Computex. This BD-R/RE/ROM burner, whose model number remains a mystery, is capable of writing to Blu-ray discs at two times speed, while burning to standard dual-layer DVD+R and DVD-R platters is accomplished at 2.4x and 2.0x speeds, respectively. Also on display was one of the first HD-DVD-R units we've seen, the 12.7-millimeter thick SD-L902A from Toshiba, which appears to burn data at what we're hoping is just a first-gen speed of 1.0x. As with many products introduced at the Taiwanese trade show, pricing and release plans for both of these burners are still up in the air.[Via HDBeat]
BenQ-Siemens christens Q-fi line with EF51
BenQ-Siemens has been looking to jump on the "Is it a phone? Is it a music player?" bandwagon with its Q-fi series of music-oriented devices, and although the EF51 isn't the first device announced in the series, it appears it'll be the first to ship. The EF51 is supposedly so music-oriented, in fact, that BenQ Mobile is calling it "a music device with an integrated mobile phone." It packs A2DP, which is all well and good, but what's the one thing you absolutely cannot live without in a music player, folks? That's right, memory, and BenQ has ominously left that aspect of the phone's specification off the press release. We've seen reports that the phone might be shipping with a scant 20MB, and if that's the case, the EF51 is dead in our eyes as a music device. As a phone, the EF51 holds its own on the low end with tri-band 900/1800/1900 GPRS, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a 128 x 128 display. A MiniSD slot is mercifully included, but in our opinion, a music player that can scarcely fit five MP3s without the aid of a memory card is not a music player at all. The EF51 drops this month in tri-band friendly parts of the globe.[Via Slashphone]
BenQ's W100 projector for Japan
You thought BenQ was done launching new digital projectors, but you thought wrong, son. Their latest for Japan is the W100, a ¥89,800 (about $800 US) device with DVI, dual component, composite, S-Video, and a 854 x 480, 1,300 lumen, 2,500:1 contrast ratio image. Just your run of the mill, but the we know what completists those whiteplasticphiles happen to be.
Buffalo LinkTheater Wireless Media Player for Viiv PCs
If you like the idea of BenQ's Viiv-flavored DMP300 Digital Media Player we saw yesterday, but would so much prefer a version with snazzy antennas, Buffalo has you covered. It's the very same remote Internet applications and premium content that Viiv support enables, just this time in a Buffalo box, and featuring a USB 2.0 port for plugging in digital cameras and portable audio players. Codec support is hefty, with audio (MP3, WMA, AAC, LPCM), image (JPEG, BMP, PNG), and video (MPEG 1/2/4, WMV 7/8/9, XviD) formats well represented, along with DRM like DTCP-IP and Windows Media DRM 10 for Network Devices. There's an Ethernet port along with the 802.11a/b/g wireless connection, but though the device has S-Video and composite outputs, component video only works off of a D4 port via an included adapter, and no mention is made of HDMI. The LinkTheater should be available later this month for around $250.
BenQ's VIIV-friendly DMP300 Digital Media Player
Now that you've picked up a brand new VIIV-powered PC (because computing just isn't computing without VIIV), you probably want a media streaming device to watch all your digital swag on regular TVs, and BenQ's got your back with the new DMP300 Digital Media Player. Like many of the other similar solutions on the market, the DMP300 streams your music (MP3, WMA, PCM), vids (MPEG-1/2/4, WMV9, XviD), and pics (JPEG, JPEG2000, BMP) over a wired or wireless (802.11b/g) network, but also leverages the power of VIIV for accessing certain remote applications and premium content. This model sports a full range of connectivity options -- HDMI, component, S-video, and digital audio outputs are some of the highlights -- and will be available for an undisclosed price under generic branding sometime next quarter.
The "economy class" BenQ-Siemens A38
A 96 x 96 pixel display? 300 address book entries? With a new contract, we would expect to be paid cold, hard cash to pick up BenQ-Siemens' new ultra-low-end candybar, the A38. The claimed standby time of 286 hours, if accurate, is pretty impressive, but there's not much else to talk about here. The tri-band A38 drops in Europe come July, Asia in August, and Latin America in September. No mention of a North American release, but we're just fine with that.[Via Slashphone]
BenQ-Siemens A58: which is the genuine article?
Alright, Engadget Mobile readers. Time to put your thinking caps on. BenQ-Siemens appears to be trying to announce their new business-oriented tri-band phone, the A58. They're having some trouble doing that, though. The folks over at Slashphone have pictures of a no-frills candybar, clearly labeled "A58." BenQ-Siemens' site itself also has an A58 which looks nothing like Slashphone's. Could it be that BenQ-Siemens posted the wrong pictures? To us, the official pics look an awful lot like the CL71 we first told you about a few months back. At any rate, their specs appear to jive with one another; expect a basic "voice-oriented" phone with Bluetooth on the 900, 1800, and 1900 bands. Even if we squint, we can't buy that these are the same phone. Are we missing something?Read - Slashphone Read - BenQ-Siemens
BenQ Siemens launches EF71 Q-Fi music phone
BenQ Siemens has just launched their tri-band GSM/GPRS EF71 cellphone, the latest to be tricked out with the company's Q-Fi music system. The music system consists of a pair of built-in 3D surround speakers sure to rock your cubicle, tied to a ten-band equalizer, along with dedicated controls to the phone's music app. The phone itself measures 9x4.7x 1.9cm, weighs 100g, and has a 2.2-inch main display as well as a 128x64 OLED screen that's used with the phone is closed. It also comes standard with Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel camera that can double as a webcam, and 24MB of built-in memory with a MicroSD slot for additional storage (BenQ will apparently bundle a 256MB card with the phone). Look for it to ship in Asia in July and Europe in September.
Benq's HSDPA EF91 on the fast track for release?
Along with today's announcement of the HTC Muse getting a third quarter release to get a jump on the European HSDPA market, Benq has a little surprise of their own with a reported July European release of their first HSDPA unit, the EF91. T-Mobile is to be the lucky carrier, but there's no word as to a price for the clamshell. We do know that beyond those fun fun HSDPA speeds, the phone features a 2-inch QVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera, microSD slot, and stereo over Bluetooth. Not at all a bad start for those blessed with HSDPA access.[Via Reg Hardware]
BenQ's E310 and C510 digicams
Looks like BenQ's got some new digital cameras today they were too ashamed to announce during the week. They ain't much to look at -- and probably aren't so hot to actually use -- but if you're one of the "fist adopters" BenQ claims to be going for here, you may want to avert your eyes. E310 is your basic 3.2 effective / 5.0 interpolated megapixel CMOS camera with a 1.5-inch LCD, and power source; the C510 is a 5 megapixel shooter with a 2-inch display and 16MB memory. Both use SD AAA and AA cells (respectively), and rock it old-school USB 1.1 style. Don't expect to pay too much for either, but don't expect to get too much out of your purchase, either.
BenQ MP3 player adds retro Sega classics
BenQ is launching the GBA micro-esque (and by extension XGP Mini-esque) Joybee EG10 MP3 player in Japan featuring ten Sega Game Gear and Master System games, including Sonic Blast, Sonic Spinball, Columns, Putt and Putter, and more. The unit also contains an SD slot, ostensibly for holding your tunes on. This thing is obviously housing the hardware to play retro Sega titles, so how hard will it be to hack ROM playback into these boys when--and if--they leave Japan?See also:Coby DVD player with 8-bit Sega games[Via Engadget]
Pics of BenQ's BW1000 3-in-1 Blu-ray burner
Finalized versions of Blu-ray hardware have been popping up all over the place lately, with Panasonic revealing the simple design of its DMP-BD10 player earlier this week, and now BenQ's BW1000 three-in-one burner shows up in both internal and external flavors, courtesy of AVING. In case you hadn't heard, the BW1000, or "Trio" (please don't sue, Palm, we promise we won't get confused), can read from/write to 25GB and 50GB Blu-ray discs, dual-layer DVD±R, and of course, the reliable old CD. Write speeds for BD-R and BD-RE discs are a bit pokey at 2x (but hey, what do you expect from new tech?), with DVDs clocking in at 12x (4x for DL, 8x/6x for DVD±RW), and CDs burning at a zippy 32x (24x for CD-RWs). Nothing new as far as pricing or availability goes, so just enjoy the pics, mkay?
BenQ launches a slew of Joybees
We're glad BenQ's not trimming the fat on their portable audio division the way their optical drives business got the boot this week (it was bought by LITE-ON), but a couple of their new Bluetooth-enabled Joybees are definitely hat-tipping BenQ-Siemens as possible accessories. So let's get to the players, already (clockwise from top left): the E520 (no, not that BenQ E520) with Bluetooth / call features not dissimilar from Samsung's SBH-300; their ET50 with the same Bluetooth call features, but also a data transmission profile, presumably for file swapping (so it'd probably be OBEX / FTP); the Game Boy Micro-esque EG10, which comes bundled with ten Sega Game Gear and Master System titles (like Sonic Blast and Columns) and an SD slot; and finally the E105 (no, not that E105) clip-on MP3 player. No word on when or if these'll be States-bound, so keep those fingers locked and loaded on your favorite importer.[Via The MP3 Players]
