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Korg unveils two new Kaoss family members, brings anarchy to your pocket
Two K-words we're almost always pleased to hear: Korg and Kaoss. Good, then, that the former has decided to make more of the latter -- the mini Kaoss Pad 2 (effects unit), and Kaossilator 2 (synthesizer), to be precise. Both new editions will slip in your pocket, and are dominated by that all-important X-Y pad. The mini Kaoss Pad 2 is all about effects, packing 100 programs, three memory slots, and MP3 playback (with pitch adjust). The traditional flanger, filter, delay, and reverb ear candy are also joined by looper, vinyl break, and ducking compressor. But what good are effects without anything to, er, affect? Enter Kaossilator 2. It's a palm-sized synthesizer, with 150 onboard sounds and a PCM engine for drums. You can sample via a built-in mic, gate and arpeggiate sounds, and create layered textures with loops. Both can record your performance, save it to SD, or impose share with others via a built-in speaker. It's all peace and quiet, though, until April when the Kaossilator lands for about £168 ($260). The KPad, on the other hand won't hit the market until May, retailing at the same price. Full PRs after the break.
Line6 introduces StageScape visual mixer, lets you touch it up to eleven
It might seem like we've gone mixer mad around here, but with a huge music trade-show starting this week, it's no surprise there's a pile of new tech on offer. The StageScape M20d visual mixer from Line 6 being one such example. Of course, we have inputs (12 line / mic, four line-only, and two for USB/SD streaming) and outputs (four XLR monitors, two master) all strummed along by internal 32-bit floating-point processing. What piqued our interest, however, was that seven inch screen you see up there. Rather than fumble over a mash of faders, you thumb the instrument's icon to pull up its parameters. Other features include Kaossilator style X-Y multi-parameter control, and color coded pots -- presumably so you don't kill the guitar solo by mistake. A final flourish is remote control via an iPad, for mid-track sound tweaks -- though you might need one of these. Tap the PR after the break for more info.
Akai releases MPC Fly for iPad, waits 'til you get the pun (video)
We already knew Akai was refreshing its legendary MPC range, but the newest member to the family -- the Fly -- has to be about the cutest. It kinda looks, initially, like a knock-off MPC novelty case, until you realize those pads are real, and that software on screen is legit. The case-and-device approach seems a smart idea, so it feels like one unit -- it even juices your slate when you charge its built-in battery. The trade-off is an extra two pounds of weight, and almost an inch of thickness. Somewhat lighter is the app which rocks effects, a sound library, sampling, supports WIST (Wireless Sync-Start Technology) and works on any iPad -- but you'll need a second-gen tab to use the hardware. Before you bemoan that this is some sort of cash-in, the whole idea is that you can lay down ideas on the (ahem) Fly, and pick them up later back in the studio. If you want to see more, drop some bass over the break for a video.
Behringer outs three iPad-housing USB mixers
When it's not bringing the crazy that is iNuke, Behringer turns out some pretty serious audio gear. The latest offering? Three new mixers that throw an iPad into the EQuation. A dedicated app serves as an interface, while the iPad provides the brains and the power source. They're no dumb terminals though, as you'll also find a dedicated audio interface, mic pre-amps and a new dual-engine KLARK-TEKNIK FX processor, complete with 32 configurable "studio grade" presets (reverb, chorus, flange and so on). The trio comes in three sizes: 16 channels for the iX1642, 24 on the iX2442, and 32 for the big ole iX3242. Behringer's keeping the volume down on pricing and availability right now, but they'll be on display at NAMM this week if you want to have a fiddle. Not going? Then fade-in the press release after the break for more info.
iConnectivity outs iConnectMUSE digital audio mixer for iOSers (video)
Some hot music tech for iDevices already dropped at CES, but the product announcement concerto plays on. The next act? The iConnectMUSE digital audio mixer from iConnectivity, featuring six stereo in / outs, headphone out, two USB ports, a "hub-able" USB host, Ethernet / network sharing and MIDI pass-thru. Maker iConnectivity claims studio-grade analog-to-digital conversion will make it a snap to record professional sounding mixes on tour, back at the hotel or even at home. Your garage band can get mixing from Q2 and iConnectivity is asking $230 for the privilege. Hit the PR and curiously silent video over the jump for more details.
Warner Bros. pushing movie delays from 28 to 56 days for Netflix, Redbox and Blockbuster?
While HBO is reportedly not supplying DVDs directly to its rival Netflix, Warner Bros. is apparently flexing its muscle by working out agreements that will keep new release movies away from Blockbuster, Netflix and Redbox renters. This news comes from anonymous sources dropping a dime in the ear of AllThingsD's Peter Kafka, who reports the arrangements will be announced at CES, not long after Warner extended the window for Blockbuster to match the other two. This news comes at the same time Time Warner's CFO John Martin remarked upon "alternate" distribution channels as a way for it to move through a more challenging home video market. That means the company is focusing on things like day-and-date VOD releases with disc which it's seeking to protect from competition by cut-rate rental services like these three, likely by leveraging their desire for content to feed streaming movie offerings. According to Home Media Magazine, he believes the industry has "got to embrace these higher margin opportunities" -- which is probably going to leave just the older flicks in its 7,000 movie deep library for the rest of us trying to watch via subscription or $1~ rentals. Update: Bloomberg reports Redbox has denied reaching any revised agreement, and that its deal with Warner still calls for a 28-day delay only. We'll likely find out what the deal is in a few days, so stay tuned.
Interview: Olivia Broadfield on Macs, apps and DIY music making
You've probably not heard of UK based singer songwriter Olivia Broadfield before, but chances are you've heard her music at some point, especially if you watch a lot of TV. Songs from her debut album, Eyes Wide Open (released in 2009), reached over 50 TV placements on shows like The Hills, Ghost Whisperer and Melrose Place. Following that, Eyes Wide Open reached No. 3 on the iTunes Electronica charts. Daydreams, the opening track from Olivia's second album, This Beautiful War (released in June, 2011), was featured on a recent episode of Grey's Anatomy. And if that's not enough, in her spare time Olivia composes jingles for commercials, too. After reading that, you'd be forgiven for assuming Olivia works in swanky studios around the world while she's not touring, and that she has the backing of a big record label behind her, too. But her situation couldn't be more different. In fact, Olivia hasn't really done all that much gigging (let alone any tours), she's not with a record label and the studio where she does all her recording, well... it's an old garage attached to the side of her house. OK, she's converted said garage into a modest-but-capable DIY studio, and yet, it's not the rock 'n roll lifestyle you'd expect. That's not a bad thing. What really caught my attention, besides her music, was Olivia's setup. Without wanting to undermine the clear production power that it has, it's an undeniably simple setup with absolutely no frills. And to me, that's a testament to the musical creativity of Olivia, the Mac and DAW at the center of her studio and the reality that producing great music doesn't always require the most expensive gear and equipment you can (or usually can't) get your hands on. About a week ago I was fortunate to get the opportunity to chat with Olivia over Skype. Tea cups in hand, we chatted about the tools she uses to produce her music, a little about her workflow as a songwriter, her musical and production influences and what she does to recharge her creative batteries. Read on to find out what she had to say. TUAW: Tell me about your current setup? What gear are you using? How do you make the magic happen? Olivia Broadfield: So I have a Mac Pro. It's got two 2Ghz Dual Core Intel Xeon processors in it with 8 GB of Ram. I've had it for a year or so. I bought it second hand off this guy on eBay who was selling off gear from his studio that I don't think worked out. I got it for a really great price. When he handed it over I could tell he wasn't too happy about it, but I was! I'm running Mac OS X Snow Leopard. I like to stay one release behind the latest release so everything's super stable. I've got two screens (one old school Apple one that came with the Mac Pro and one Acer one). I'm a Reason Record user, so my 2 screens make mixing and programming super quick and easy. I'm using a Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 interface, little M Audio BX5a monitors and a Rode NT2000 mic. I have to confess I did have an outboard compressor, but sold it because I never used it as the pre-amps on the Focusrite are so great. The MIDI keyboard I use is a M-Audio Prokeys 88 SX. TUAW: Was your Mac Pro your first Mac? OB: Ha! No. I got my first Mac off eBay about 6 years ago! It was an old silver door G4 Mac, I can't even tell you the spec, but I know it was probably pretty teeny compared to what I have now! It still sits under my desk as a giant hard drive because it's got loads of my old music on it, but I rarely plug it in these days. Back then I was using Reason and Logic with ReWire, (which was a pain in the backside), and it struggled a bit with that, but it still got the job done. Before that I had a PC, but really just for emailing etc. I've never been a PC for music user. Studios I used before I set up my own always had Macs and I just believed that they were more stable units for making music on. From what I can tell, they don't suffer the same virus problems, so I think I felt my music and data was safer in the hands of a Mac. TUAW: So now you're a Reason 6 user and you've left Logic behind. Why Reason, don't all the big players use Pro Tools or Logic? OB: Well, usually people are quite surprised when they hear I'm using Reason. People seem to get all snobbish about the fact that I'm not a Pro Tools or Logic user. They give me the look that says, "aww, that's sweet. She's playing with Reason." But when they see Reason in action, they're genuinely impressed. At university, I did use Pro Tools, but to get Pro Tools for yourself is quite expensive. So one day I was recording at a friends house and he was using a really old version of Reason, maybe 2.0. It was quite a long time ago! But Reason just looked really accessible compared to what I'd seen in Pro Tools or Logic. So when I set up my own studio and became my own producer, because I'm not a very technical person when it comes to recording, I knew I'd need something simple and easy to use, so I got Reason. Of course, back then Reason didn't do audio recording, so I got an old version of Logic off eBay to handle that side of things, but once Reason came out with Record, I happily left Logic behind. And that's why I love Reason, but I guess I'm just used to it now. I must add that I do have a producer (Josh Crocker) I work with as well as a few others who I bring into the mix for the final finishing touches to my music. I like to think of it as the icing of a cake, I bake it, and then get some others in to help me decorate it. TUAW: There are so many great music apps out there for the iPhone and iPad. Do you have an iPhone or iPad? Do any particular apps assist you in the workflow of how you make music. OB: No iPod or iPad, but yep, I have an iPhone 4 -- although I'm ashamed to say I haven't updated it to the latest version of iOS, yet! My friends give me grief for that! I know there are so many music apps out there, but I tend to just use the inbuilt voice memo for ideas and getting down songs, particularly if I'm out and about or it's late at night and I can't be bothered to boot the studio up. As I get most of my initial ideas on piano and guitar, I find just the dictaphone on its own meets most of my needs. The other night I was twinkling on the guitar and came up with a little skitsy idea that would work great for an advert., I was able to put the idea down from start to finish on the iPhone so I could remember it the next day. It's nothing fancy, but it simply gets the job done. I actually think the iPhone mic is pretty good for that sort of thing. TUAW: While we're talking about iPhones... Besides all the usual suspects (the Mail app, Safari, Facebook etc) what apps do you find you use the most on your iPhone. OB: I love Hipstamactic. And I do use the Flashlight app A LOT! One of the weirder apps I've got is Shakra Chime. It literally plays a chime! That's it! I find it helps me calm my mind.... You know, after a busy day of making music with tunes buzzing around your head. Oh, I also like Sleep Maker, where it's just rain noise. "Gentle rain onto porch roof." That is my favorite! TUAW: What about when you're not making awesome music, how do you spend your down time? Any games you into? OB: When I first go the iPhone, I played games all the time. The popular ones like Angry Birds. Oh, and Bejewled. I was obsessed with trying to score a million on Bejeweled, but I only got about 700,000. I am a bit of a nerd, so I do love games like Scrabble and other word games. I could just spend all day my iPhone playing games. So occasionally, I have to force myself to go outside and look at animals and hear bird song! TUAW: Who are your musical influences? What artists and musicians really inspire you to make music? OB: I like people who are versatile, people who keep it fresh. I love Gwen Stefani for that reason. Influence wise, I think Feist is a beautiful singer and songwriter, her career is the one I would probably like the most. I've seen her live and she just has this great energy, relaxed like everything comes so easy to her. TUAW: What about recording / producing influences? Are there people out there who really inspire you about the technical side of making music? OB: When I first set up my studio over 5 years ago, Imogen Heap's Speak For Yourself album was huge. Seeing someone go out there, particularly a woman in such a male dominated studio world, and do everything herself was very motivating. I have to say, I'm not the most able technically, which is why I love my software, the presets are pretty amazing and I can make some great sounding stuff without having to tweak much... Or I'm just lazy... Yeah, probably the latter! TUAW: Here's a curve ball, but If you open iTunes and click on the Top 25 Most Played playlist, what's the number one song you listen to in your music library? OB: Um... That can't be true. OK, it's a dog food commercial song that I did. I can't believe that's my most played song in my iTunes library, especially since I just finished my album and I should have been listening through to those tracks over and over AND OVER again to make sure they were all fine. Oh well... slightly embarrassing! OK, here's the thing. I don't listen to music on my studio Mac. I am really, totally old school when it comes to listening to music. I listen to CD's in my lounge. In fact, oh gosh, I've never downloaded a digital song...
The Daily Grind: What's the worst thing an MMO dev's ever said?
The fall season has seen two massive PR fiascos in two MMOs that just couldn't be more different: World of Warcraft and EVE Online. At BlizzCon, Blizzard cluelessly cheered on a video featuring individuals making crass anti-gay comments. And CCP managed to alienate its loyalists with an arrogant, greed-oriented internal memo. For my part, one of the most awful dev quotes surfaced during the bygone days of EverQuest, when a dev named Milo Cooper famously posted to a player, "Shut up and give me my ten bucks per month, little man. My Porsche needs some performance upgrades." (Hey, remember back when games were $10 a month?) Comments like that one just fueled anger among the playerbase, whose members already felt they were paying too much for too little in return from a studio that took them entirely for granted. So what's the worst thing you've ever seen an MMO dev say or do? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Netflix, MGM strike licensing agreement ahead of launch in the UK, Ireland
When Netflix makes its debut in the UK and Ireland next year, it'll do so with MGM Studios by its side. Today, the two companies announced a new licensing agreement that will give Netflix exclusive regional streaming rights to "most first-run feature films from MGM." Included on that list of movies are The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the prequels to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and 21 Jump Street, among others -- all of which will be available across multiple platforms within one year of their theatrical release. Netflix will also stream a selection of catalog MGM titles, including Fargo, The Usual Suspects, and (snap) West Side Story. Netflix has yet to announce a launch date more specific than "early 2012," and exact pricing remains a mystery, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we hear more. In the meantime, you can find more details and delectable delights in the full PR, after the break.
Korg launches two new Monotrons, Duo and Delay: the clues are in the names (video)
Remember when Korg dropped a bomb with its pocket-sized-pocket-money Monotribe synth last spring? Well it's done it again, and this time with two analog boxes of badness to salivate over - the Duo and the Delay. Those aren't just cute names, either; both feature the same ribbon based sonic goodness as before, but the Delay packs a dub-tastic space delay, and the Duo rocks a second oscillator, for those juicy thick timbres. No word on price or availability just yet, but we're guessing they'll pop up for around the same as the original -- around $60 -- which is almost as pleasing to the ears as the Monotron's themselves. Check the videos after the jump to see / hear both in action.
Zediva ordered to permanently shut down operations, pay $1.8 million to MPAA
The last time we checked in with Zediva, the DVD streaming service was reeling from a court-ordered preliminary injunction that effectively brought its operations to a halt. At the time, the California-based company was still pinning its hopes on the promise of a forthcoming appeal, but those hopes were summarily quashed on Friday, when US District Judge John Walter rendered the injunction permanent. Zediva had previously exposed an apparent loophole in US copyright law, by allowing users to stream movies from physical DVDs located in Silicon Valley. This strategy allowed the firm to offer newly released movies well before other on-demand services, but according to Judge Walter, it was also illegal. Zediva will now have to cease all operations and pay $1.8 million in damages to the MPAA. The defendant has yet to comment on the decision, but MPAA Associate General Counsel Dan Robbins seemed understandably delighted: "This result sends a strong message to those who would exploit the studios' works in violation of copyright law, on the Internet or elsewhere, and it is an important victory for the more than 2 million American men and women whose livelihoods depend on a thriving film and television industry."
NYT: Netflix strikes deal with Dreamworks, will begin streaming movies, TV specials in 2013
It looks like those rumors of a streaming deal between Netflix and Dreamworks Animation were as good as advertised. Details are still fuzzy at this point, but the New York Times is reporting that the two parties have reached an agreement to stream Dreamworks' movies and TV projects, as part of a deal worth an estimated $30 million. Under the contract, which replaces a similar pay TV pact between Dreamworks and HBO, Netflix will begin offering exclusive access to the studio's new films in 2013, with Antz, Kung Fu Panda and other titles from its library slated to become available for streaming sometime thereafter. The company won't be confined to selling digital copies of Dreamworks' movies within a specific period, either, drawing a major distinction between itself and HBO, which requires studio partners to halt digital sales outside of an exclusive window. HBO probably isn't too thrilled to see Netflix strike what Dreamworks chief exec Jeffrey Katzenberg called a "game-changing deal," but it also has a new partnership of its own with Summit Studios, which it brought on board after letting Dreamworks out of its contract a full two years early. We're still waiting for official confirmation of Netflix's latest deal, but we'll let you know as soon as we get it. Update: Now with the official press release, included after the break.
Rare studio tour shows that Kinect is the centerpiece these days
Here's the thing: The stuff you loved when you were a kid changes as you grow up. Mr. Rogers passed away after a long and full life. The Smurfs got turned into a terrible movie starring Katy Perry. And Rare, the creators of all those games you loved way back when, are really, really into Kinect Sports. That's the lesson from this quick tour of the company's studios, where you can see lots and lots of wall-sized displays of Kinect avatars, but only two mentions of the company's storied and prosperous history with Nintendo. Goldeneye 007 and Banjo and Kazooie may sit front and center in many gamers' hearts, but at Rare HQ these days, they mostly just sit as unmarked cartridges inside a glass history case. That's fine -- Rare is doing quite well under Microsoft's leadership, and as the article says, the company is very proud of what it's done with Kinect and Xbox Live. But that won't keep us from remembering the good old times, and all of the fun we had together way back when.
The Lawbringer: No, you can't sue Blizzard over the Dance Studio
Pop law abounds in The Lawbringer, your weekly dose of WoW, the law, video games and the MMO genre. Running parallel to the games we love and enjoy is a world full of rules, regulations, pitfalls and traps. How about you hang out with us as we discuss some of the more esoteric aspects of the games we love to play? Imagine, if you will, a time long ago. A time before we cared about dual specs, Ulduar, Sartharion, and the rest. Back before hard modes and vehicle fights. I speak of that fabled time at the end of The Burning Crusade, when Kil'jaden was reentering the world through the Sunwell and there was something about a girl and some manga ... There was a lot of supplemental reading. Wrath of the Lich King was announced, and we were all excited. One of the more community-jolting announcements during the Wrath of the Lich King launch trailer related to new character dances. Since then, the Dance Studio has become a legend in its own right, being called everything from the second coming of the WoW messiah to a dumb waste of time for designers and developers who could be working on more "important" projects. Some people believe it will never come, and others still hold onto embers of hope.
New Blue Yeti Pro Mic stalking audio enthusiasts
Blue Microphones makes outstanding mics for musicians, podcasters and anyone else who needs to capture or transmit audio with great clarity and range. After using one of Blue's Yeti USB mics at Macworld Expo 2010, I bought one to improve my audio on TUAW TV Live and the TUAW Talkcast. That same mic has also been used for recording voiceovers, screencasts and a commemorative video, and it never fails to amaze me just how good the sound quality is. For many musicians, however, the Yeti just didn't do the job since it only had a USB connection. Now Blue has updated the Yeti with a new model, unsurprisingly called the Yeti Pro ($249.95 suggested retail price, available for less through some online sources). The Pro will make audio professionals happy, as it adds analog XLR output, an A-D converter chip, and a separate analog circuit path so it can be used with pro mixers and preamps. As with the existing Yeti, the Yeti Pro can be used in both studio and desktop environments. The four-position pattern selector knob is still on the mic's tubular body, providing a way to switch between stereo, cardioid, omnidirectional, and bidirectional pickup patterns. There's still a mute button, gain control, and volume knob, and the base still has a standard threaded mic stand mount. %Gallery-121781%
Visualized: the National Ignition Facility in a pannable, spherical panorama
Hopefully your brain has recouped from the explosion it endured when you first laid eyes on some glorious shots of the NIF out in Nor-Cal. Now, xRez Studio's imaging gurus have provided the common folk the ability to virtually stand in front of a 500-trillion watt laser experiment at ultra high resolution. Better yet, the interactive, detailed look at an attempt at nuclear fusion allows for zooming and a full, 360-degree pan-around experience. Since this might be closest in proximity you'll get to the NIF, hit the source link to truly get a feel for what we're yapping about, and -- if you're feeling audacious -- be sure to check out the BBC video tour after the break.
Flaming Lips create tune for 12 smartphones
This is a little trippy. The band Flaming Lips once released a studio album containing four CDs designed to be played all at the same time. Flaming Lips has upped the ante and uploaded 12 different clips to YouTube, which are all supposed to be played on 12 different smartphones at the same time (or browser windows, if you don't have 12 iPhones). Here's their YouTube account with all of the videos on it, and here's an "instructional" video (beware: the title of the song is not safe for work) detailing how to get the tracks running and synced up on an iPhone. Like I said, trippy. If you're not a Flaming Lips fan, the whole thing is probably too weird to put in the effort, not to mention that you probably don't have 12 smartphones sitting around to play music with unless you're in a particularly high-tech and relaxed office space. But it's a cool angle on music composition, and it's a neat experiment made possible with YouTube and our favorite smartphone. If you do have the time and energy to make it work, let us know what you think.
Klipsch unveils AirPlay-enabled Gallery Studio, Forum and Arena soundbars (hands-on)
Klipsch managed to unveil a black-and-white version of its high-end Image X10i earbuds as well as something referred to as a LightSpeaker at last CES, and this year they're doing the inevitable: unveiling a trio of iDevice-friendly sound systems. All a part of the new Gallery series, the Studio, Forum and Arena are all making their debut tonight in Vegas. Each of these units are AirPlay certified, meaning that each one will wirelessly ingest smooth jams and fusion metal from a nearby iTunes library. The Studio and Forum each have slots along the front edge where you can rest your iPhone / iPod / iPad, while the high-end Arena actually has a 30-pin Dock Connector port as well as a video output. The unit's the company had on display this evening were far from being production quality, but the overall design was nice, if not a touch understated. To remedy that on the Studio, the outfit plans to offer well over a dozen faceplates with various graphics -- if sales are strong, we're told that it could create similar plates for the higher-end siblings. To go along with those, Klipsch also unveiled a trifecta of slim, passive speakers: the G-12, G16, G-28 and G-42. These range from $299 to $599 per speaker, and are obviously aimed at the more affluent crowd. One thing of note -- the backs of these speakers have clever cutouts along the bottom and rear, enabling you to better manage your wires. Yeah, wires. These units definitely aren't wireless, but here's hoping for 2012, right? As for the iPod sound systems? Those are slated to ship in Q2 or Q3 with prices set for $399 (Studio), $599 (Forum) and $799 (Arena). %Gallery-112859%
Bart Decrem on Tap Tap Revenge 4 and the Disney acquisition of Tapulous
Tapulous (purchased by Disney earlier this year) has released Tap Tap Revenge 4, the fourth iteration of the extremely popular iOS music game, and the new version brings a whole lot of new features to the series. The game is now compatible with the Retina Display, includes Game Center integration, and has quite a few new social modes that let you "like" various songs, as well as see which of your friends have also "liked" that same music. Like Tap Tap 3, it's a free app that sells music packs and avatars as in-app purchases, with music from artists in all genres, from Linkin Park to Rihanna, The Killers, and quite a few more. Earlier this week, TUAW sat down to chat with Tapulous CEO Bart Decrem about the new game, and how his company has changed since it was not only acquired by Disney, but since he was placed in charge of the entire Disney Mobile operation. Read on to find out just how well Tap Tap Revenge 4 is doing (it's showing "the biggest download numbers ever," according to Decrem), and how he sees Disney's future in the mobile app space.
Dell Studio XPS 14, 15 and 17 packing NVIDIA Optimus lunch for imminent launch?
It would seem Dell's suffered another of its signature pre-release leaks, as the folks over at Logicbuy have a full trio of new laptops from Round Rock to tease us with. The three new Studio machines -- imaginatively titled the XPS 14, XPS 15, and XPS 17 -- are said to come with anodized aluminum shells and brushed aluminum palm rests, NVIDIA Optimus switchable graphics (up to the GeForce GTS 445M on the XPS 17) and options for Blu-ray drives, 16GB of RAM, and Core i7 CPUs. The accompanying pictures of each laptop are what leads us to believe Logicbuy has simply stumbled upon some prematurely published Dell pages, which in turn leads to the deduction that their proper launch can't be too far away. Sherlock Holmes, eat your stony heart out.
