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BenQ intros 8-megapixel C840 point-and-shoot
Keepin' the flow of new BenQ gear rolling is the C840 point-and-shoot, which claims to be the successor of the 2.5-month old C740i. This camera features an eight-megapixel CCD sensor, an SMC Pentax lens, face tracking functionality, anti-shake, 3x optical zoom, a 2.5-inch LTPS LCD monitor, red-eye reduction, ISO all the way up to 1,600, optical zoom in video recording mode and 3:2 / 16:9 output sizes. The video mode enables users to capture clips in 720 x 400 resolution at 30 frames-per-second, and there's 15 different shooting modes built-in to handle a variety of scenarios. You'll also find a paltry 6MB of internal storage, but you can (thankfully) expand that a little with an SD or SDHC card. Sadly, mum's the word on pricing and release date information, but click on for a shot of the back.
Intel shows of MIDs / UMPCs aplenty at IDF
We already caught sight of one Mobile Internet Device that made its way to Intel's currently-happening Developer Forum, but it looks like that was just the tip of the MID iceberg, with at least five other devices also making an appearance in prototype forum. In addition to that BenQ unit, the prototypes include devices from Asus, Compal, Elektrobit, Inventec and Quanta, each of which are based on Intel's Menlow platform, and at least some of which are apparently on track for a release in the first half of 2008. Unfortunately, there's not much in the way of specs for any of them just yet, although we're sure we'll be hearing more about them soon enough. In related news, Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth was also on hand to demo a pre-alpha version of Ubuntu for MIDs, as was Adobe's Al Ramadan, who showed off the company's Adobe AIR application, which will supposedly "extend the reach of rich internet applications" and "bring compelling new experiences to the user."[Via Phoronix, thanks Steve]
BenQ's Mobile Internet Device peeked on video
It's been a tick since we've heard anything notable on the Mobile Internet Device front, but it looks like BenQ could have something on the horizon. Judging by a brief clip showing a consumer marketing manager from Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, BenQ has developed a Linux-based handheld MID that touts a vivid black / blue color scheme and a 4.8-inch touchscreen. Sadly, that's about all the details that could be shared in 27 oh-so-quick seconds, but click on through to check the video out for yourself.[Via jkOnTheRun]
BenQ's NFC-enabled T80 to debut this fall
BenQ is set to launch its first Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled set this fall, the T80. Powered by NXP Semiconductor's highly secure SmartMX chip and NFC solutions, the handset will feature Windows Mobile 6 Standard edition, quad-band GSM, WiFi, with the NFC apps stored on the included microSD card. The bundled smart apps will be used for Mobile Wallet features, transport ticketing -- for the Taipei public transport system -- and access to private security systems. The microSD will be portable to other NFC devices, so we're hoping that we will see more from BenQ in the near future -- and with its quad-band GSM legs, we really could see this come stateside.
Bankrupt BenQ Mobile hits parent BenQ with third lawsuit
As if there wasn't enough scandal surrounding the bankruptcy of BenQ Mobile, the dead handset company has just filed its third lawsuit since July against former parent company BenQ. This time BenQ Mobile's insolvency administrator Martin Prager wants €26 million Euro ($36 million US) to pay executive bonuses that BenQ the parent approved, but BenQ Mobile had to pay after BenQ pulled the investment plug. In July Prager filed two lawsuits that amounted to €80 million ($110 million US) for account payables made by BenQ Mobile to BenQ in 2006. BenQ's considering counterclaims against those July suits.
BenQ cranks out 13 new E Series LCD monitors
We've known major flat-panel manufacturers to loose the farm every now and again, but this time its BenQ's turn to unleash so many LCDs we can hardly speak of them all in this space. The 17-inch E700 / E700A / E700N and 19-inch E900 / E900A / E900N all boast standard 4:3 panels, 800:1 contrast ratios, and 300 cd/m2 brightness levels, and while the "A" models tout only a VGA input, the other two add-in DVI. Also of note, displays rocking an "N" arrive sans speakers, while the others manage to include a set of one-watt stereo drivers. Moving on, the 19-inch E900W / E900WA / E900WN displays all sport similar configurations but pack a widescreen panel and just a 700:1 CR, while the E2000WA sports a 20-inch panel with a 1,000:1 contrast ratio. The E2000W ups the ante to 24-inches (at least that's what BenQ claims) of widescreen real estate, while the E2200W / E2200WA monitors include 22-inch screens. Now that you're totally befuddled, why not hit the read link and see the madness in a easy-to-read (albeit still enormous) chart.[Via PCLaunches, thanks Vinit]
BenQ offers up 10 megapixel E1000 point-and-shoot
With BenQ executives somewhat preoccupied with keeping their own asses out of jail, and the company's camera division having been turned over to Ability Enterprises at the end of June, it's hard to say who's really responsible for the latest camera to bear the troubled Taiwanese manufacturer's name. Whoever designed the 10 megapixel DC-E1000, though, seems to have done a pretty good job, taking a cue from the handsome design of the P860 and adding such desirable features as face tracking (up to nine people), a 3-inch LCD, and digital image stabilization. Other specs -- like the 3x optical zoom and claimed 1600 max ISO -- are certainly nothing groundbreaking, and we're assuming that pricing will reflect that fact when these go on sale in China later this month.[Via Let'sGoDigital]
BenQ's showy 15.4-inch Joybook R56 laptop
Another month, another Joybook. Thankfully, BenQ's workin' overtime to keep things fresh in its ever-growing laptop lineup, and the flashy R56 doesn't disappoint. The machine sports a 15.4-inch WXGA widescreen display with an eight-millisecond response time, HDMI output, and NVIDIA's GeForce 8400M G to boot. Additionally, you'll find an Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor, 512MB to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, up to 160GB of SATA hard drive space, an optional dual-layer DVD writer, six-cell Li-ion battery, 802.11a/g/n, built-in stereo speakers / subwoofer, and a slew of ports including Firewire, Ethernet, VGA, audio in / out, eSATA, ExpressCard, and four USB 2.0 connectors. Unfortunately, BenQ's not handing out any pricing or availability deets just yet, but click on through for a few more angles of this stylish machine.[Via Electronista]
BenQ-Siemens SL98 reverse slider
Just when we thought that the slider form factor had reached its zenith, BenQ-Siemens has apparently knocked that all to bits with this, the SL98. Rather than always having the screen exposed to the elements -- and über abrasive pocket lint -- this novel approach has a small display to get a quick peek at incoming call info, with the main screen squirreled away inside. With the touch of a button -- or flick of the wrist, we really don't know -- the main screen is unleashed for your viewing pleasure. As proof that these guys are on to something, both Asus and LG have submit patent applications with similar ideas. Pretty slick stuff, we're looking forward to getting more details as soon as we can.[Thanks, Staska]
BenQ intros uber-sleek 1080p SH4241 LCD TV
It's been a tick since we've seen any swank LCDs come out of BenQ's doors, but we're quite pleased that the SH4241 seems to be a finely tuned piece that could prove worth the wait. Unfortunately, there's not too much dirt on this one just yet, but we do know that the 42-inch LCD HDTV will sport a piano black finish, black / red accents, bottom-mounted speakers, a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, and a mysterious assortment of ports that AV freaks and gamers will apparently drool over. No word just yet on price nor availability, but we'll be sure to keep an eye on this (admittedly attractive) set.[Via AkihabaraNews, image courtesy of DigiTimes]
BenQ intros two new digital cameras
Even after all the name changing, CEO shenanigans, and apparent scrapping of their digital camera division, BenQ still has found the time, money, and effort to release a few nice looking new cameras. The C740i (7 megapixel) and the E820 (8 megapixel) share a number of the same features, including: 3x optical zoom, Pentax lenses, a 2.5-inch LTPS screen, SD card support, continuous movie mode, face tracking, and red eye reduction. Where the cameras part ways, however, is in the details. The C740i features PASM, which gives you all sorts of control over shutter and aperture settings, and has a high ISO of up to 1600. The C820, on the other hand, can shoot in 16:9 or 3:2 modes, has an ISO of up to 1200, and uses PictBridge for direct printing. No word yet on pricing or availability.[Via LetsGoDigital]
BenQ demotes CEO after refusing his resignation in March
As if you needed any more proof that BenQ is in heap big trouble, the latest mini-episode in this tragic soap opera has landed K.Y. Lee out of his spot as CEO over BenQ Corp, AU Optronics and the newly formed Qisda. He's sticking around as chairman -- and to catch the heat for the ongoing financial troubles and insider trading scandal -- but he's being "reshuffled" out of the top job at the company, which he tried to ditch in March when things were really looking rough. The insider stock trading case is set to hit the courts in the next few weeks, and while BenQ is still denying any wrongdoing on the part of its executives, things aren't really looking up for K.Y. Lee and his executive buddies... no matter how much restructuring they do.
BenQ to launch E72, M7, and T51 in August?
Although BenQ has been through more reshuffling and renaming in the past few years than we care to ponder on, the remnants of a mobile division could be cranking out a trio of new handsets this August. DigiTimes has it that the E72, M7, and T51 could hit store shelves in the second half of August after the firm's SF71 (pictured), but not much was known outside of that. Interestingly, Hank Hung, general manager of BenQ Taiwan, was quoted as saying that the company had hopes to move "250,000 handsets in Taiwan" before the year's end, and if it plans to keep on producing mobiles in the years to come, it better be right.
BenQ renamed QISDA, but still BenQ... huh?
In what appears to be a doomed repeat of Palm, Inc's name changing and restructuring fiasco, BenQ had donned a new, newer moniker: Qisda. Damn if that doesn't just drip off the tongue... like a pneumonic cough. The new name, an acronym actually, stands for Quality, Innovation, Speed, Driving, and Achievements, not Quality Inn San Diego Airport regardless of what the all knowing Google thinks. The company's Chinese name has also changed from "Jia Da" to "Jias Da." So to break it down for you: BenQ is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qisda (AKA, Jias Da) whose familiar purple logo will continue to appear on Qisda's self-branded products. Qisda, however, will focus on LCD monitors, projectors, multi-function peripherals, and handset OEM/ODM businesses. The name change gets all official on September, 1st. Hey Qisda, feel free to use the illustration above for your new corporate logo.
BenQ rolls out Santa Rosa-based Joybook S32/S32W
BenQ's adding a bit more Santa Rosa cheer to its ever-expanding line of Joybook laptops, following up its recently-announced Joybook S41 with its new S32 and S32W models. Apparently differentiated only by color (black or white), the new models each boast a 13.3-inch WXGA display, a Core 2 Duo 7100 processor, Intel's GM965 Express chipset with X3100 graphics, up to 2GB of RAM, a max 160GB hard drive, a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam, and integrated 802.11a/g/n WiFi, among other features. Perhaps most importantly, the laptops also keep things shiny, using BenQ's trademark "Laminated Color metal technology" for that extra bit of fingerprint-attraction. No word on price, though anyone outside of Asia will likely have to do some importing or trip-planning if they want to pick one up.
BenQ lightens itself of digital camera division
Try not to look too shocked that BenQ's digital camera sales haven't exactly been brisk enough to warrant clinging tight to the division (wait, they sold cameras?); not long after BenQ's Siemens-laden phone business rolled right over, now the firm is cutting additional corners with cameras. Ability Enterprise, the, um, lucky bidder on the business is said to be snagging it for under $3 million US. See, now you know exactly how much you'd have to fork out to take on a crapcam business of your very own.
BenQ rolls out Santa Rosa-based Joybook S41
BenQ isn't going as all out as some companies in jumping on the Santa Rosa bandwagon, but it's not entirely missing out on the action either, trotting out its new Joybook S41 series laptop while the going's still good. This one looks to fall squarely in the middle of the Santa Rosa pack, boasting a 14.1-inch widescreen display, a T7100 Core 2 Duo processor, up to 2GB of RAM, a max 160GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS graphics, built-in 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, and an integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, among other standard fare. BenQ has managed to squeeze in a few things to help it stand out from the crowd, however, most notably an HDMI output and a still-less-common-than-it-should-be ExpressCard slot. No word on price, unfortunately, although it should be available sometime this month.[Via PC Launches]
BenQ's body fat-measuring phone patent
So there's nothing really cool or integrated about this -- and the concept of estimating body fat by measuring impedance is nothing new -- but the marriage of a cellphone with a function to remind us of what fat slobs we are is just too good of a patent app to pass up. The design really couldn't be any simpler; BenQ's basically just thinking about slapping a couple electrodes on the side of a phone that you'll touch to get a measurement. If only they had a device on there to measure BenQ's own weak pulse, they'd be all set.[Via Unwired View]
BenQ changes it up and spins off the brand, keeps manufacturing
Fighting hard to stay alive after the BenQ Mobile fiasco, BenQ has switched things up by deciding to spin off its BenQ brand and hold onto its manufacturing business, instead of doing things the other way around as most analysts expected. According to BenQ chairman K.Y. Lee, it was a bit of a no-brainer: "The scale of the branded business has become relatively small compared to our integrated manufacturing service business. Therefore, it is a straightforward decision to spin-off the branded business." Lee will be leading both companies, with the manufacturing arm -- which does contract work for heavyweights such as Dell and HP, and accounts for 60 percent of BenQ revenue -- taking on the new name of "Jia Da Corp." after the spin-off. The new, fabless BenQ will stick to product design and engineering, while Jia Da Corp. will try to make its buck in the cut-throat world of ODM, something which Lee once dismissed as a viable way to survive. Arguably, BenQ couldn't be doing much worse than it's doing right now, so we're content to sit and watch how it all plays out.
BenQ's (minor) upgrade to the DC C1000, the ten megapixel C1050
Continuing on with the minor camera updates today, it looks like BenQ is readying the replacement to the C1000, the C1050. They've bumped the screen on the 10.1 megapixel shooter to 2.5-inches (a whopping .1-inch up from the C1000) and the optical zoom to 5x (up from 3x), and dropped the internal memory down to 9MB from 24MB for some reason, but other than that, this is basically the C1000 all over again, all five ounces of it. No official product shot yet, so here's a photo of the C1000 -- unless BenQ's decided to get crazy on us, we'll bet the C1050 looks just like it. Jeez, people, haven't you heard of silent upgrades?
