cebit2008
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SanDisk FlashBack ExpressCard adapter enables continuous backups onto SD cards
Oh sure, there's a million and one ways to rightfully cram an SD card into an ExpressCard slot, but does your current multicard reader provide continuous backups out-of-the-box? SanDisk is certainly hoping not, as it's waving its nifty FlashBack Adapter around at CeBIT and boasting of its ability to "automatically and continuously back up and encrypt critical data onto an SD flash memory card." Put simply, this device enables you to access the recent copies of your most important files should your system crash or become doused with any number of liquids while working. On a positive note, this thing will indeed play nice with SDHC cards; unfortunately, it's made to work seamlessly with Windows only. Still, you suits out there can snap one up in Q2 for $29.99 and simultaneously vaporize any hope of using computer failure as an excuse for not doing work.
ASUS' 9-inch Eee PC, now with living pixels!
We showed you quite a bit of the 9-inch Eee PC from ASUS yesterday, but they wouldn't let us turn it on. Now that CeBIT has officially begun, however, ASUS is lighting up those pixels loud and proud. ASUS tells us the screen is 1024 x 600, and it looks to be almost the exact same pixel density as the 7-inch version. The computer was being shown in both Linux and Windows XP versions, so it looks like you'll be able to have your choice of OS when the 9-incher is released later this year.%Gallery-17479%
Edifier packs 7-inch LCD into iF380 stereo, shows off Rainbow IR audio system
We're used to large quantities of "me too" design and product from most smaller manufacturers -- with China hosting some of the worst offenders -- but Edifier is breaking the mold with a couple of new home audio products. The Chinese company has put quite a bit of thought and design into its "Active IR" Rainbow wireless audio system, which uses a wide IR spectrum for ultra-low-loss uncompressed digital transmission. All it takes is a 3.5mm input and you're set, with transmissions from the base station to receivers working at up to 15 meters. The sound is supposedly CD quality, and it certainly sounded good to our ears. The other item of note is the iF380 iPod dock (pictured), which includes a 7-inch LCD, SD card and USB inputs, and some 25 Watt speakers. The €350 pricetag might be hard to swallow when this rolls around in July, but the unit is certainly quite a bit sexier than its competition.%Gallery-17419%
Meizu M8 mini One vs. iPhone... fight!
So we finally had the chance to lay palms to Meizu's M8 prototype. Better yet, we set it up side by side with it's muse, the Apple iPhone. Let's be clear, the prototype is not functional by any stretch of the imagination. It simply turns on and then slaps up one of three images representing the home screen, dialer, or media player depending upon which of the three physical buttons you press along the bottom of the main display. The capacitive touch panel does not work at all. While the physical components may or may not be in place, this is clearly a very early engineering sample. Having said that, Meizu claims that the hardware is complete and final -- they are only working on their Meizu OS tweaks to the Windows CE 6.0 base. However, the GUI and icon designs are pretty much locked in at this point with only minor changes expected before this hits China this August for a to be determined price. Unfortunately, Meizu is still working on their international deployment strategy (duh, they're looking to sign up distributors at CeBIT) so they are not willing to commit to any dates or prices. Gotta say, for all our justifiable M8 bashing, the mini One felt good in the hand and the additional hard buttons, 720 x 480 pixel display, 3 megapixel camera and likely el cheapo price tag have once again perked our interests. Still, it's a long way from it's original 3G HSDPA and kitchen-sink roots and a bit too late (GSM/EDGE in 6 months, Puh-leeze) at this point to be anything more than a novelty outside of China. Nevertheless, the development lifecycle has been fun to watch. Click through for the main features and specifications expected at launch. Video in a jiffy.Update: Video now available, also of the UI.%Gallery-17473%
Suvil's awkward I-T Click Click mouse makes us grateful for the chubby kind
At first glance, this I-T Click Click mini-mouse from Suvil looked to be the solution to all the world's ills. Not so much. In fact, this thing is awkward enough to hold and cheaply enough built that it'd probably be hard pressed to solve world hunger. The premise is simple enough: you rotate the mouse slightly for ergonomics, left click with the "fingernail" button and use the button at your thumb for right click. It all falls apart with use, however, with the scroll wheel gumming things up, and the fact that the "right click" is in use by your leftmost digit not helping anything. Left-handed users don't stand a chance. The I-T Click Click is currently available in Germany and Spain for about €12, and Suvil is looking for a global distributor.%Gallery-17415%
Panasonic's Toughbook CF-U1 UMPC eats Hi-K metal gate for breakfast
So you're the type who actually needs to scrub behind the ears? Good, this UMPC is for you. The Toughbook CF-U1 is a "fully ruggedised" UMPC which runs XP or Vista on Intel's Menlow platform. So rugged in fact, that only a case of glass and gravel can withhold it from Intel's new Atom branding. We can't tell you much without an official announcement or any PR types around to drone on (and on) about its Mil-Spec or Ingress ratings. Regardless, it'll still look great strapped to the dash of your Hummer as you pull into the strip mall for a milkshake. And that's all that really matters right, Mr. Milquetoast?%Gallery-17412%
7-inch Eee PC vs 9-inch Eee PC -- ready, fight!
We know you need it. Now you've got it. ASUS' 7- and 9-inch Eee PCs lined up for a side by side comparison. The new 9-incher is clearly the bigger brother to the shorter original. Too bad too 'cause that chunky bezel on the 7-inch already offers plenty of room for screen-estate growth. You can also clearly see the bigger touchpad and beefier display hinge of the new 9-inch. Check the gallery to see all the hot 9- on 7-inch action.%Gallery-17383%
Hands-on with the 9-inch Eee PC
If you hadn't guessed from the headline, and as rumored just an hour ago, there's 9-inches of LCD on this thing. Actually, 8.9, but who's counting? We found out that and a few other little tidbits about this Eee PC "New Generation" at the ASUS booth just now, but for the most part the 9-inch Eee PC is quite similar to its 7-inch forebearer. Anything past that ASUS is saving for tomorrow's press event when this laptop will become officially official, but whatever they end up calling it (Eee PC 900 is rumored), it's certainly for real. The battery impact of the new display is said to be "negligible," with 2.5 to 3 hours of battery quoted. ASUS wouldn't let us turn it on since it's all so very secret at the moment, but they did confirm some release details. The 9-inch Eee will hit in the "middle" of 2008, with that €399 pricetag for the 12GB version, but other capacities available (we saw an 8GB on display). No word yet on US pricing, but we're trying to pry it out of them.%Gallery-17382%
TomTom intros GO 930T and 730T with Lane Guidance and IQ Routes
TomTom might be in a bit of a tussle with the EU lately, but that isn't stopping the company from announcing two new GO models at CeBIT this morning -- say hello to the GO 930 and 730. The updates to the popular 720 and 920 now feature TomTom's new IQ Routes features, which uses a database of historical vehicle speeds along different paths rather than speed limit information to generate route guidance, and Advanced Lane Guidance (shown above), which aims to make navigating complex interchanges a little simpler. Other than that, there's not much of a bump here: both models feature the same 4.3-inch, 480 x 272 touchscreen, 400MHz CPU, Map Share and traffic as their predecessors, and the main difference between the 930 and the 730 is the presence of a dead-reckoning accelerometer in the 930. Expect the $500 730 and $550 930 to hit in April.Update: If you're in the Netherlands, UK, and Germany, you can also score HD Traffic versions of these bad boys as well, which come bundled with TomTom's new GPRS HD Traffic receiver. The tiny box plugs into a range of compatible TomTom models and provides high-quality traffic data. It's out in the Netherlands now and should be out in the UK and Germany later this year, with France to follow in 2009.[Thanks, Tim]Read - GO 930 and GO 730 press releaseRead - HD Traffic receiver press release %Gallery-17384%
Getac's rugged PS535E Windows Mobile handheld does GPS
We've seen ourselves some major ugly in the past when it comes to rugged devices, so while this new Getac PS535E won't be swiping any work from Jonathan Ive in the near future, it won't make him cry either, which is certainly a step in the right direction. The internals are decent as well, with GPS, 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth, a 400MHz Samsung processor, 64MB of SDRAM and 2GB of flash storage. There's a transflective 3.5-inch QVGA touchscreen fronting the device, and Windows Mobile 5.0 Premium is holding it all together. No word on price or availability. [Via NaviGadget]
Eyes-on ASUS' first gaming desktop: ARES CG6150
We're still waiting for the official press release, but that's ASUS first gaming desktop attempting to intimidate you from the CeBIT floor. The ARES CG6150 is said to offer "breathtaking performance in a menacing armor-cladded case." We'll see. One thing's for sure, they've taken more than a few design hints from Alienware. Republic of gamers, unite!Update: Details are in. Under the armor you'll find a Core 2 Extreme CPU with support for up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, NVIDIA's 3-way SLI graphic technology, up to 4 Terabytes of hard disk, Dual Power power modules and liquid cooling. Grrr.%Gallery-17365%
Hands-on with ASUS touchscreen M536 QWERTY
Here you go QWERTY fans, ASUS' M536. This touch-screen follow-up to the M530W runs Windows Mobile 6.1 under that 2.43-inch, 320 x 320 display. Inside you'll find 802.11b/g WiFi, 256MB of flash, and GPS. While it sports 3.6Mbps HSDPA on the 2100/1900/850 bands, it's unfortunately limited to GSM/EDGE/GPRS riding the 900/1800/1900 frequencies. As such, we'll bet this one is heading straight to Europe, Statesiders. Our hands-on was brief due to that fingerprint scanner. Still, we'd bet that this business minded handset will come sporting ASUS' own sultry WinMo overlay whenever it does launch.%Gallery-17363%
Samsung unveils T-series LCD lineup for the suits
While we found Samsung's IT solutions emphasis here at CeBIT a bit of a yawn -- when executive gets up and tells you that printers are his "personal passion," you know you're in for a wild ride -- we are glad to see that the company is sticking some of its consumer design cues into its business products. Case in point, the T-series LCDs borrow from the "crystal" style elements of the Bordeaux series, but pack in some business-friendly specifications. The SyncMaster T260 is the flagship of the series, with 26-inches of real estate, 1920 x 1200 resolution, 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 5ms response time and a DTV tuner option, while the similar T240 hits at 24-inches and brings 0.3 Watts standby power. Inputs include DVI and HDMI and D-sub. More basic displays start at 19-inches, multiple color accent options are available, and everything will be available globally in March.%Gallery-17362%
ASUS' new touchscreen GUI prettifies Windows Mobile 6.1
Regardless of the cause, we certainly like the trend of these enhanced touch-screen UIs dominating the high-end cellphone market. Now meet ASUS' GUI slickness destined for their newest touchscreen devices including the ZX1. Starting with a Windows Mobile 6.1 core, ASUS slathers on a new customizable Multi-Home 3D interface meant to simplify access to your today screen, life and business applications. Think HTC's TouchFlo only sexier. ASUS even threw in some "album cover flow" to the media app and the ability to more easily manipulate all your digital media with enhanced figure gestures. You can even drop everything into a visual carousel if that's your preference. See for yourself in the video after the break.
Video: ASUS' new touchscreen GUI prettifies Windows Mobile 6.1
Regardless of the cause, we certainly like the trend of these enhanced touch-screen UIs dominating the high-end cellphone market. Now meet ASUS' GUI slickness destined for their newest touchscreen devices including the ZX1. Starting with a Windows Mobile 6.1 core, ASUS slathers on a new customizable Multi-Home 3D interface meant to simplify access to your today screen, life and business applications. Think HTC's TouchFlo only sexier. ASUS even threw in some "album cover flow" to the media app and the ability to more easily manipulate all your digital media with enhanced figure gestures. You can even drop everything into a visual carousel if that's your preference. See for yourself in the video after the break.
Samsung rolls out 12.1-inch P200 business ultraportable for Europe
We don't see much of Samsung's laptops around these parts, and it doesn't look like the P200 is headed Stateside either, but it's certainly a solid entry into the ultraportable market -- which seems to be the new hotness these days. The laptop has been circulating in the UK since February, but is finally "official" here at CeBIT. The P200 runs on "Intel's latest" chips, up to the Core 2 Duo 9500, and integrated graphics come courtesy of ATI's Radeon Xpress 1250, with the laptop wringing 3.1 hours of life out of those chips with a 6-cell battery. The 12.1-inch 1280 x 800 screen is no-gloss, and includes a built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam. The laptop also packs Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, Atheros Super G WiFi, 6-in-1 memory card reader, PCI Express card slot a whopping two USB ports. The whole kit weighs in at rather hefty-for-its-class 4.2 pounds, and is available in Europe today starting at € 999 ( $1,517 US).%Gallery-17357%
Eyes-on with ASUS ZX1 Lamborghini phone
While poking around the ASUS booth this morning we had a chance to witness the world premier unveiling of the ZX1 Lamborghini. We even took a few shots before it went under the glass. However, the real treat is the UI based on a Windows Mobile 6.1 core running special ASUS tweaks. It's "just like the iPhone" according to our friendly ASUS guide. The device is expected to fetch an unsubsidized €1,000 ($1,500) price tag when this 3G world-phone launches in Europe this May. Maybe you'll think it's worth it when we get back to you in a few with a video of the GUI albeit sans all that Lamborghini theme nonsense.%Gallery-17354%
Meizu's M8 a CeBIT no show just like CES -- surprised?
So we hurried on over to the Meizu booth in sweaty-palmed anticipation of laying fleshy bits upon a working M8 MiniOne. It's gotta be here, right? After all, Meizu CEO Jack Wong promised it his damn self. Nope. Oh sure, they did bring that siliconless, plastic mockup already seen kicking around the Nets for awhile and they offered to show us a laptop-based demo of the UI if we come back tomorrow. Although even the demo is feature incomplete. Nevertheless, Meizu is confident that it will begin shipping the M8 in China in the next "half year" while remaining coy for a rest-of-world launch. Guess reverse engineering the iPhone isn't so easy, eh Jackson?
Asus shows off new lineup of Eee PC add-ons
You can't blame these guys for trying to milk the Eee PC, and Asus is doing just that with its new smorgasbord of Eee PC accessories. Most interesting is the Ai Guru U1 VoIP phone. It plugs in with USB, and in addition to letting you make calls to all your broke-ass friends, you can also use it to browse and listen to music stored on the Eee PC. Next up is the Eee AP, which acts as a 802.11g wireless access point and little else -- think AirPort Express minus the sexy. The USB "3.5G HSDPA Card" is just as straightforward, with GSM900 / 1800 / 1900 and WCDMA2100 / 1900 / 850, and download speeds up to 3.6Mbps. The slim DVD-RW drive and the totally generic headsets aren't spicing things up either, which you can probably tell is par for the course here. There's no word on price or availability for any of these yet, but we're guessing none of them will break the bank -- they sure don't look it.%Gallery-17329%
ASUS busts out 7-inch R70 UMPC at CeBIT
It's big, thick, lacking any sort of keyboard and not all that pretty. But if you're aching for ASUS' next gen UMPC to cut loose from the product chute then the R70a is it. Besides toting a 7-inch display with Vista tucked inside a 120GB disk (we think) purring along on a 1.6GHz processor of unspecified Intel make (Silverthorne, please?) we really can't tell you much. Forgive us but the show doesn't open for a few more days -- instead of marketing types the booth is currently staffed with a mustachioed security brute named Dieter. Nevertheless, from the outside we can tell you that it sports a pair of USB jacks, memory card slot, kick-stand for watching videos, and controls in line with the 5-inch R50a. And judging by the way it's displayed as a dashboard-mounted device, it's safe to say that integrated GPS is at least an option. We'll find out more just as soon as ASUS decides to make the R70 official.%Gallery-17322%