MSI’s already had a fairly productive month when it comes to new laptops, but it’s not done quite yet — the company has now also rolled out its new 15.6-inch CX640 and CR640 models, which each boast what MSI calls a “clutter free design,” as well as some budget-friendly prices. As for specs, both pack an Intel Core i3-2310M processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive (not to mention two USB 3.0 ports), while the silver CX640 upgrades things from the basic integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics on the black CR640 model to NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 520M with Optimus technology. Sound like the mid-range laptop you’ve been waiting for? Then you can grab your choice of the CR640 or CX640 today for $630 or $680, respectively — full press release is after the break. Continue reading MSI rolls out Core i3-based CX640, CR640 laptops MSI rolls out Core i3-based CX640, CR640 laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Woah! In the world of big-time lawsuits, this must be just about the biggest. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has sued Samsung Electronics for copying “the look and feel” of its iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone. This relates to the Samsung Galaxy S 4G , which bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone 3G / 3GS models, and the slightly less obvious Epic 4G, Nexus S, and Galaxy Tab (presumably the older 7-inch model, since the newer ones aren’t out yet) devices. The claim for intellectual property infringement is phrased as follows: “Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products.” The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California on Friday and seeks injunctions against Samsung, damages (both actual and punitive), and a finding that the infringement was willful. Lest we forget, the rarest outcome in such legal tussles is for an actual judgment to actually be handed down, so the greatest likelihood is that this will just lead to another round of grudging handshakes and licensing going one way with money going the other way, but still, it’s fun to see the big dogs barking at each other. Apple sues Samsung for ‘copying’ the iPhone and iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …Best Buy slaps Blue Label on Sony and Toshiba laptops, packed to the exhaust vents with extras
April 18, 2011 No Comment
That fancy new Toshiba E305 we checked out back in January is up for pre-order now, and it’s brought along a friend from Sony (the VPCSC1AFM/S) to join the Best Buy-exclusive Blue Label party. In terms of specs the two machines are practically identical — both boast a 2.3GHz Core i5-2410M, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hybrid hard disk , a Blu-ray drive, WiDi (and an adapter for your TV from Netgear), and a WiMAX radio. The big differences between the two PCs are price and size, with the 14-inch Toshiba weighing in just under 5 pounds and costing $900, while the Sony squeezes in under the 4-pound mark for $950. Considering the wealth of extras, including a year of Kaspersky anti-virus, 90 days of Geek Squad support, and an extended two-year warranty, the Blue Label machines are actually a pretty good bang for your buck and cost about $100 less than comparably equipped systems from their respective makers. If you don’t care about things like Blu-ray or WiMAX, and distrust the Geek Squad though, you could save yourself some cash by skipping on these pre-configured models and going with a customized rig from Sony or Toshiba directly. PR after the break. Continue reading Best Buy slaps Blue Label on Sony and Toshiba laptops, packed to the exhaust vents with extras Best Buy slaps Blue Label on Sony and Toshiba laptops, packed to the exhaust vents with extras originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The world’s love affair with tablets may have been bubbling along under the surface for a while, but it really got started in earnest during CES 2010 . Back in those wild days, you could see 15-inch jumbo screens , TV tuners , and even hybrid pseudo-laptops stalking the tablet area of your favorite trade show. ASUS was there too, of course, though it still believed in the upstart smartbook category — a modernized take on the netbook that relied on an ARM CPU and a mobile OS to extract more battery life out of a lighter, thinner device — and was busy showing off a seductively slim prototype of just such a machine. Alas, nothing came of that Neo concept, most likely because it was relying on Android 1.6 and a Tegra 2 system-on-chip that was then still months away from hitting the market. Gallery: ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and keyboard dock unboxing Today, however, is a different day. The 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 is finally being produced in volume, Google has evolved Android to version 3.0, specifically targeting higher-resolution displays, and ASUS has abandoned the idea that a keyboard is crucial to mobile computing. No, wait, that last bit’s still there. The Eee Pad Transformer is a 10.1-inch Honeycomb tablet very much in keeping with the current trend , but it also has an optional keyboard dock that turns it into a, you guessed it, instant smartbook. So, does that mean you’ll get two devices in one or has ASUS been overly ambitious and compromised too much? We got to grips with the
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There’s plenty of folks that will sell you a so-called “consolized” Neo Geo MVS arcade system, but you won’t find many quite as impressive as this bit of kit from Analogue Interactive. Crafted from 100 percent real walnut, the console boasts a seamless design without any visible screws or nails, all the audio / video outputs you could want (for a Neo Geo , that is), and even some working dust flaps. Of course, it does come at a bit of a premium price — but $649 is actually the exact same price that SNK’s original Neo Geo AES home console sold for back in the day, and it was only made out of plastic. Check out the gallery below for a closer look, and hit up the source link below to get your order in if you like what you see — the first units are expected to ship early next month. Gallery: Analogue Interactive Neo Geo Consolized MVS Analogue Interactive crafts a Neo Geo MVS from walnut, yours for $649 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Samsung’s Epic 4G just recently got Froyo , but it might not be too long before the handset bites into another toothsome treat — a user agent profile at Sprint’s own website lists a newer software based on Android 2.3 . We can’t say definitively whether this ED12 build will actually make it to retail phones anytime soon, mind you — our own Epic 4G is presently on EC05 right now — but it seems very likely that Europeans won’t be the only Galaxy S owners to snarf down gumdrop buttons this year. Epic 4G user agent string suggests Gingerbread is on the way? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Continue reading …iPhone 5 to have 8 megapixel camera and improved antenna, same old design?
April 18, 2011 No Comment
To date, we’ve heard scant few details about the next-generation iPhone, except for a rumor that it may or may not have a bigger screen, and that it almost certainly won’t pack an NFC chip. Now, one analyst is reporting the design will remain unchanged, though its innards will get a slight boost. Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities (who has been dead-on in the past) talked with sources in Apple’s supply chain to learn that the iPhone 5 will boast the same A5 processor as the iPad 2, along with an 8 megapixel rear camera, improved antenna design, and that Qualcomm baseband for both GSM and CDMA models we’ve seen bandied about (technically, the one in the current Verizon version is already GSM-capable). His sources also claim that Apple will begin mass production of its next-gen phone in September, which aligns with what we already heard about Apple moving to a fall launch — and because of the ongoing disaster in Japan, the company might not have sufficient supplies to launch a new iPod touch at the same time. Typically we take many Apple rumors with a grain of salt, but these tidbits all sound plausible. And given that Kuo has been right before, we’re especially inclined to believe him — even if the truth is more ho-hum than magical. iPhone 5 to have 8 megapixel camera and improved antenna, same old design? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Paul Allen doesn’t give many interviews, but Microsoft’s famously eclectic co-founder recently decided to sit down with 60 Minutes’ Lesley Stahl, to discuss his juicy new memoir , The Idea Man . It’s a book peppered with old stories of Allen’s early days as a programmer, when he and Bill Gates would spend their days searching for discarded code in dumpsters and building software for the original Altair computer. But the memoir’s most intriguing (and controversial) revelations revolve around Allen’s personal and professional relationship with Gates, whom he described to Stahl as a gifted businessman with a penchant for being a total jerk. According to Allen, Gates would regularly engage in testy shouting matches with his Microsoft brethren, and wouldn’t hesitate to sling “personal verbal attacks” against anyone who dared to disagree with him. Allen says he tolerated Gates’ explosions, for the most part, even though he desperately wanted to tell him that “working with you is like being in hell.” The two hit a particularly rough patch after Gates allegedly plotted to squeeze Allen out of the company, not long after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 lymphoma — an incident that spurred Allen to leave Microsoft, shortly thereafter. Gates, for his part, hasn’t commented on Allen’s tell-all, nor, apparently, has he even discussed it with his former partner. The next time the two men sit down for a chat, however, Allen says he expects a “heated discussion.” Naturally. You can watch the interview after the break, along with a glimpse at some of Allen’s most jaw-dropping toys. Continue reading Paul Allen compares working with Bill Gates to ‘being in hell’ (video) Paul Allen compares working with Bill Gates to ‘being in hell’ (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Eager to unleash some serious creativity on your tablet computer, but stymied by the meaty nubbins you call fingers? There, there. We know your shame. You need grace and precision: you need a stylus . Yes, the stylus, that newly resurgent tech soon to ship with the HTC Flyer and a horde of other Android devices. But if you’re unwilling to buy a new tablet, you might feel left out. So for you Wacom — the company that built its fortune on pressure-sensitive tablets — has unveiled its first capacitive pen, the Bamboo Stylus. Sporting a 6mm tip, it’ll work with all capacitive screens, iPad, Android, or otherwise. The company plans to ship it in May (in the UK at least), along with several pen-based apps; retail price should be
Continue reading …First light wave quantum teleportation achieved, opens door to ultra fast data transmission
April 18, 2011 No Comment
Mark this day, folks, because the brainiacs have finally made a breakthrough in quantum teleportation: a team of scientists from Australia and Japan have successfully transferred a complex set of quantum data in light form. You see, previously researchers had struggled with slow performance or loss of information, but with full transmission integrity achieved — as in blocks of qubits being destroyed in one place but instantaneously resurrected in another, without affecting their superpositions — we’re now one huge step closer to secure, high-speed quantum communication. Needless to say, this will also be a big boost for the development of powerful quantum computing , and combine that with a more bedroom friendly version of the above teleporter, we’ll eventually have ourselves the best LAN party ever. First light wave quantum teleportation achieved, opens door to ultra fast data transmission originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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