UWB
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Latitude E4310 sneaks onto Dell's e-tail pages, 'coming soon'
In its own inimitable style, Dell has just updated its Latitude range with the E4310 model we saw floating through the FCC bearing the fancy codename of Lafite. As part of the company's "E-Family," this 13-incher promises rock solid durability and rugged design without compromising on the spec sheet goodies. Processor options are provided by Intel's 2.4GHz Core i5-520M or 2.53GHz Core i5-540M, while memory can stretch up to 8GB of DDR3 and storage space can be maxed out at 500GB. Alternatively, you can plump for the 256GB SSD, with a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader and UWB radio filling out the optional extras. Prices aren't yet available, but we can surely expect them very soon. In other unannounced news, the E6410 and E6510 models recently spotted on Dell's UK site are now available via the US branch as well, with prices starting at just over $1,100 for base systems equipped with Core i5-520M CPUs. Hit the links below to learn more. [Thanks, Jason]%Gallery-92248%
ASUS EeeKeyboard up for pre-order, priced at $599 in the States
Jumpin' Jehosaphat! After well over a year of false starts, delays, teases and purported prices, ASUS' PC-in-a-keyboard is just about ready to ship to eager Americans. If you'll recall, we heard a few weeks back that late April would finally bring about Stateside shipments of the EeeKeyboard, and amazingly, the price seems to have remained constant with what we heard back in January. A fresh product listing over at Amazon shows off a $599 asking price, and as for specs, we're told that it'll roll with a 1.6GHz Atom N270 CPU, 1GB of DDR2 memory, Windows XP Home, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a gigabit Ethernet jack, Bluetooth 2.1, a 16GB SSD, HDMI out, integrated UWB receiver, a trio of USB 2.0 sockets and a 5-inch LED-backlit, multitouch display with an 800 x 480 resolution.Mum's the word on a definite ship date, but hit up the source link to secure your place in line.
Hanshin Icreon HUWB-3000Kit connects your PC to TV sans wires
Not that we haven't seen UWB-based options before that connect your PC to TV without any cabling in between, but we've yet to actually come across one that we can love wholeheartedly. Hanshin just might have the first, as its Icreon HUWB-3000Kit supports both video and audio transmissions. Setup is rather simple: simply plug the USB dongle into your laptop or desktop, and connect the transceiver box via HDMI to your HDTV. Utilizing an ultra-wideband connection, it'll pipe audio and video wirelessly to your set, with support for 1080p resolutions to boot. There's no Mac support just yet, and a price has yet to be disclosed -- but hey, it's coming, and that's good enough. Er... we'll just keep telling ourselves that.
ASUS EeeKeyboard finally shipping at the end of April
We'll give you a few seconds to re-read that headline and recover from the initial shock, but yes, after almost a year of delays the EeeKeyboard is in fact ready for prime time -- ASUS confirmed that the Atom-based HTPC keyboard will go on sale in the US in three weeks. We don't have firm details on pricing, but we're assuming the battery-powered PC with an integrated five-inch touchscreen, HDMI-out, and UWB will range somewhere between $500 to $600. We should know more soon as well as have a real-life review unit, but we're curious, will you actually be putting some Eee in your living room? Oh and there's a new EeeKeyboard promo video after the break in case you've missed our numerous hands-on vids.
Wisair-based wireless display adapters head to Macs
PC users have been able to take advantage of a range of Wisair-based wireless display adapters for quite a while now, and it looks like Mac users will soon be able to use them to cut a few cords as well. The first such device is a Mac-ready version of InFocus' wireless display adapter, which is designed specifically for use with InFocus' own DisplayLink-enabled projectors and should be available by the end of March. That looks to just be the beginning, however, as Wisair itself has also announced that no less than four other OEM vendors will be offering some Mac-ready, Wisair-based adapters of their own next month -- all of which, coincidentally, will be making their official debut at MacWorld 2010 this week.
Hitachi, Panasonic and Toshiba to deliver 60GHz wireless products in 2H 2010
The year's 2010, yet we're still leering at the dusty pile of cables behind our AV equipment and wondering, "O UWB, where art thou?" Well, the folks at Tech-On have got a little update for us: Hitachi, Panasonic and Toshiba are reported to be delivering products donning 60GHz wireless chips -- which sip little juice but churn out 7GHz of colossal bandwidth and 1.5Gbps of data rate -- in the second half of this year. While none of the manufacturers are directly pimping either WirelessHD or WiGig, it appears that Hitachi and Panasonic are siding with WiGig's extra functionalities like media access control (MAC), and the latter even envisions "embedding the functionality into portable gear" for downloading digital content from kiosks. Either way, it's nice to see some progress here -- we don't want things to drag on any longer, do we?
Dell E6510 / Margaux strolls through the FCC (Update: E6410 too)
Recall, if you will, Dell's aluminum-clad E6500: a mobile workhorse that some rank as highly, if not higher than Lenovo's venerable ThinkPad line (albeit with one slight hiccup in its service history). Well, the company has quite rightly decided that it's time to freshen things up with a new model, so let us all say a big howareya to the E6510. Code-named Margaux and bearing the product code PP30LA, this machine's journey through the FCC reveals Compal as its manufacturer, Intel and Windows as the major hardware and software providers (no surprises there), and a seemingly unaltered touchpad from the previous generation. The battery label seems to indicate a cool 6,700mAh of juice, while connectivity is taken care of with WiFi, WWAN and a UWB/Bluetooth combo card, with the latter two likely being optional extras. All in all, it's looking like a competent new outing from Dell, now let's just jack that Core i5 in there and start selling these babies. Update: The E6410, aka Rothschild, aka PP27LA, has also slinked its way through the American certification committee, though it appears to bear a smaller maximum battery capacity of 4,600 mAh and no UWB option when compared to its larger-screened brother. Skip past the break for a visual of its internal arrangement.
Sony releases TransferJet wireless Memory Stick in Japan, taking pre-orders in the US
Oh Sony, you just like to tease us, don't you? Two weeks after a brief mention at CES, Japan's been given the introductory taste of this tech giant's first ever TransferJet wireless Memory Stick. Meanwhile, Sony Style US has quietly added the same card for pre-order at $99.99 and cites February 8th as the possible launch date -- a slight delay from Sony's promised January launch. If the party's big enough, this TransferJet close-proximity radio technology could signal the death of cables and bulky card readers, but you'll still need compatible devices to work that magic on this memory stick. Sony will sure need more than just a few cameras to get us to make-dot-believe in this new ecosystem.
Atlona's HDAiR wireless USB-to-VGA / HDMI adapter gains audio, usefulness
Remember that HDAiR adapter we reviewed with exceptionally high hopes earlier this year? Yeah, it wasn't exactly the dream device we wanted, but it seems as if Atlona may have just remedied the primary gripe we had against it. The all-new HDAiR wireless USB-to-VGA / HDMI adapter is essentially the same one as before, but this time audio is involved. In response to widespread demand for the feature, the outfit has added the ability to output audio in both 3.5mm analog, as well as embedded on the HDMI output. This one's also compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, and it's still using the tried-and-true UWB protocol to sling content. If you managed to hold off on the first guy, this one's available to order now for $219.
Eee Keyboard splayed, detailed by FCC
Several of the documents hidden from our anxious eyes during the FCC filing have now gone public. Not only can you visually inspect its innards, the feds have also laid bare the full spec sheet for the ASUS Eee Keyboard model EK1542. Beneath the 5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touch panel (with stylus) we'll be getting Windows XP Home running on an Intel Atom N270, 945GSE / ICH7-M chipset with Broadcom AV-VD905 video decoder, 1GB of DDR2 memory, either 16GB or 32GB of flash storage, 4-hour battery, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI and VGA outputs, integrated stereo speakers and mic, 3x USB, headphone and mic jacks, and external WiFi / UWB antenna. The Eee Keyboard's on-board Ultra-Wideband (UWB) throws 720p content to your TV within a 5-meter range (10-meters for non-video transmissions) via a UWB receiver packing 2x USB ports, another mini-USB port, audio out, and HDMI. You can even connect to two external monitors at the same time using UWB and either VGA or HDMI cable. Now all we need is a final date and price... ASUS? %Gallery-75317%[Via EeePC.it]
Dell's Latitude Z 600 is a 16-inch thin-and-light, makes overcompensated CEOs out of us all (update: video!)
It's not every day you see something thoroughly distinct in the laptop scene -- or even barely off the beaten path -- so we were quite happy to behold Dell's new Latitude Z 600 outside of the narrow confines of the FCC. The machine combines a 16-inch 1600 x 900 display with a Core 2 Duo processor and a thin (0.57-inch) and light (4.5 pounds) chassis -- a rather rare trifecta. Dell's gone with premium soft touch materials, a large multitouch touchpad, a 2 megapixel webcam with included security and document scanning (like business cards) software, and a rather novel capacitive "EdgeTouch" sensor on the side that can be tapped for a quick launch bar of apps. Remember that 802.11g radio that had us scratching our heads in the FCC docs? Well it's actually one of two WiFi radios in the machine (the main radio is 802.11n, just like mother used to make), and belongs to Latitude ON, that instant-boot ARM-based Linux system that co-exists inside the computer (which first made an appearance in the Latitude E series). For security reasons it doesn't share a lick of data with the main OS, but it can hook up to Exchange and handle basic browsing tasks. In addition to its quick-booting properties, the low-power nature of the ARM chipset means you can get "days" of computing out of the machine, despite the 16-inch screen the battery is up against. But that's not all! Dell has built in a UWB radio for communicating with an optional wireless base dock (out in November) that pumps out DVI and USB, and there are also induction charging contacts on the bottom of the laptop for use with an optional induction charging stand. Other features include a built-in Smart Card reader and room for dual SSD drives. We got to play around with the laptop briefly, and it doesn't just pile on the features -- it's really a pretty tight design from Dell, and oozes quality. Some of the features make a bit less sense, like the EdgeTouch sensor, but if you're going to go all out on a laptop for executives, you might as well really go all out, right? The keyboard is one of the best laptop keyboards we've played with in a while, the touchpad is expansive, and the machine doesn't seem brittle despite its wild surface-area-to-thickness ratio. The screen did seem a little dim to our eyes, but it was mercifully matte, and that 2 megapixel camera up top really comes in handy with Dell's bundled software, reading and deciphering a business card of ours without a problem. It's a three way tie for neatest feature between UWB, Latitude ON and induction charging, but we'd probably have to go with UWB -- unlike Toshiba's similar solution, which relies on a dongle, Dell's built-in implementation actually makes a lot of sense for a premium laptop. It was also surprisingly quick at pairing with the wireless dock, and there's no harm done by pulling the laptop out of range of UWB -- a quick screen flicker and it's back to regular. Our biggest downers about the laptop probably have to do with the odd color choice (a bit too personal of a preference to be made a default) and the understandable but painfully sky-high $2,000+ pricetag. Update: Smarmy infomercial and in-depth look at Latitude ON now posted after the break.%Gallery-74180% %Gallery-74181%
ASUS: Eee Keyboard to launch in October, C64 fans unite!
Looks like those DigiTimes sources were right: the ASUS Eee Keyboard will officially launch in North America and Europe in October. And while CEO Jerry Shen is keeping quiet on pricing, the original $400 to $500 estimates should hold-up. The Commodore 64-esque keyboard PC originally announced at CES in January features an integrated 5-inch display, 1.6GHz Atom processor, 1GB of memory, either 16GB or 32GB of SSD storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI and wireless UWB HDMI. And given the October launch, we're expecting this thing to run Windows 7 unlike the XP prototypes we've seen so far. Maybe Moblin too, if you want to save a nickle.
Leyio quietly intros 8GB personal sharing device, iPod / iPhone firmware update
Leyio had a lot going against it from the word go: it utilized a nearly-dead wireless format in UWB, it could really only share information with other Leyio devices and it cost quite a bundle for what it did. Unfortunately for the company, we've little confidence that clearing up two of those issues now will trigger mass adoption for the so-called personal sharing device, but either way, users looking for a cheaper option can now select an 8GB version for "just" £99 ($163). The existing 16GB model has slipped slightly to £129 ($213), while users around the world anxiously await a forthcoming firmware update that'll enable data stored on a Leyio to be wirelessly transferred to an iPod, iPhone or a slew of other PMPs. Seems as if that bit of functionality should've been there to start, but hey, what do we know?
Video: ASUS Eee Keyboard running Moblin
Among the approximately two gazillion other things we saw at Computex this year, ASUS has demoed one of its Eee Keyboard PCs running Moblin. Currently just a prototype, it's unclear whether or not this guy sports different hardware than the device we've been seeing (we're guessing not), or whether this will become available when the XP version does sometime this month. That said, we're hoping that you can sleep better at night knowing that such a beast exists. We sure can. Video after the break. [Via SlashGear]
ASUS Eee Keyboard to launch by end of June
The dream of owning a keyboard embedded with a full-blown PC running XP on an Atom N270 processor and 5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel touchscreen display/trackpad is nearly upon us. A dream, quite honestly, nobody had prior to seeing the reveal of the 2-pound Eee Keyboard prototype at CES in January. Engadget Chinese has it on authority that this oddball all-in-one will ship in June with specs that should include a 32GB SSD, 802.11n, Bluetooth, HDMI-out, stereo speakers and mic as we saw during our hands-on with the Eee Keyboard back in March. With any luck, ASUS will also be embedding some form of ultra-wideband HDMI as promised in January alongside one of those UWB monitor prototypes they had on display at CeBIT. One thing's for sure: all will be revealed at Computex in Taipei in just a few weeks. Can you wait?
802.11n to dominate the wireless HD wars, says In-Stat
Industry watchers In-Stat didn't mention which variant of WiFi based HD streaming it expects to win out, but just based on the install base 802.11n should be the leader. UWB? DOA. WHDI and WirelessHD? Too expensive, too power hungry, too new. WiFi isn't perfect however, requiring codec support on either end to work with HD video but that's not expected to hold back the 25 million TVs with wireless hardware In-Stat sees shipping by 2013, but for the rest of the details you'll need $3,495 for the research report or a time machine.[Via TG Daily]
Samsung's 46 and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs boast widgets, wireless external media box
With no picture to show for it, unfortunately (that's the 8 series, pictured), Samsung's gone ahead and announced the 46-inch and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs, which looks to be a follow-up to the A950 models from last year. According to flatpanelshd, the latest addition to the Touch of Color series include LED backlights with localized dimming, Medi@2.0 with YouTube / Yahoo! widgets, built-in USB port, DLNA functionality, built-in DVB-T and DVB-C tuners, and most interesting, a wireless connection to an external media box that's reportedly similar to Sony's ZX1 -- no word on whether or not that means it's using WHDI. As for the other details, including pricing and availability, you're gonna have to keep waiting, we're afraid.
Samsung's 46 and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs boasts widgets, wireless external media box
With no picture to show for it, unfortunately (that's the 8 series, pictured), Samsung's gone ahead and announced the 46-inch and 55-inch B9000 HDTVs, which looks to be a follow-up to the A950 models from last year. According to flatpanelshd, the latest addition to the Touch of Color series include LED backlights with localized dimming, Medi@2.0 with YouTube / Yahoo! widgets, built-in USB port, DLNA functionality, built-in DVB-T and DVB-C tuners, and most interesting, a wireless connection to an external media box that's reportedly similar to Sony's ZX1 -- no word on whether or not that means it's using WHDI. As for the other details, including pricing and availability, you're gonna have to keep waiting, we're afraid.
Leyio's UWB-touting personal sharing device unboxed, handled on video
We first caught a glimpse of Leyio's Ultra-wideband-pushing personal sharing device back in January, and while UWB is still teetering near mostly dead and slightly alive, Le Journal du Geek has acquired a pair for some fun unboxing action and video hands-on accompanied by lovely French narrative. The reviewer predicts most people will be discouraged by the 179 euro (US $233) price tag, and with wireless filesharing here limited pretty much to just other Leyios at the moment, we can't say we disagree. Check out the video for yourself after the break -- if you're not a native French speaker or your babel fish is on the fritz, you should still be able to figure out what's going on.
UWB is dead! Long live... UWB!
Wait, let us get this straight. UWB is dead, but it's... not? According to a melancholy release issued today by the soon-to-shutter WiMedia Alliance, said entity has reached technology transfer arrangements to shuffle its ultra-wideband workings to groups within Bluetooth SIG and Wireless USB. After that process is complete, the WiMedia Alliance will -- in its words -- "cease operations." According to WiMedia president Stephen Wood, it has "reached a point in specification development and product availability where it is more efficient for the related industry groups to oversee future specification development in-house." It's tough to say whether this move will add yet another nail in ultra-wideband's coffin or act as the spark it has been longing for since its introduction, but we're cautiously hoping for the latter to prove true. Alright new management, time to see what you're made of!
