Lenovo Optimizes Start-Up Speeds on New ThinkPads

The instant-on feature of tablets and smartphones is one reason why people love them. Laptop users could definitely benefit from faster boot up as well, since every second counts these days.

Lenovo has engineered its newly introduced ThinkPad T420s to boot in 10 seconds or less, thanks to BIOS and hardware optimizations coupled with solid state storage. The RapidBoot Extreme technology is part of Lenovo's Enhanced Experience (EE) 2.0 program. Other features include reduced time for shutting down or resuming the laptop as well as speedier application launch times.

Lenovo says its RapidBoot Extreme is the company's fastest hardware configuration available. Besides booting in under 10 seconds, you'll also see applications open up two times faster than normal. This is thanks in large part to the speed advantages of solid state drives.

A video on Lenovo's website showcasing the technology (and starring race car driver Danica Patrick) reveals some of the start up optimizations, like bypassing a logo boot screen. The ThinkPad T420s even beat out the MacBook Air, known for its fast start and wake times.

Side view of Lenovo T420 laptopFast start times are also promised in other Lenovo laptops that have EE 2.0 but not the solid state drive. Those PCs will start up on average in 20 seconds and shut downs will be 28 percent faster than a typical Windows 7 PC. Resuming Windows, even without an SSD, will take less than a second (36 percent faster than average).

The ThinkPad T420s also boasts a 14-inch HD+ (1600-pixel by 900-pixel) display and a slim, lightweight profile: it clocks in at 3.94 pounds and is 0.83 inches thin. Other features include a second-generation Intel Core i3 or i5 processor, a DVD recordable drive, 250GB HHD, and up to 8GB of memory. The T420s is available for customizing and ordering now, with prices starting at $1,630.

Look for RapidBoot in future Lenovo laptops, including an IdeaPad Y570 laptop expected in June.

Get a refurbished 17-inch HP laptop for $350

Sometimes I wonder just how much cheaper laptops can get. I mean, I can recall a time when if you wanted a desktop replacement, a system with a big screen and keyboard, you could plan on spending at least $1,000.

Today, Radio Shack is offering a refurbished HP G72-B63NR 17.3-inch laptop for $349.97, plus sales tax in most states and $6 for shipping.

That is just plain unreal, people. (It's also just plain online: this deal isn't available in stores--though you can save the six bucks on shipping by opting for free ship-to-store.)

The G72 isn't the spec champion of the world, but it's loaded well enough to satisfy most home users. It comes with a dual-core 2GHz Intel Pentium P6100 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and a 17.3-inch screen.

That screen tops out at 1,600 x 900, which is a bit shy of full 1080p, and it's powered by integrated Intel graphics--not fabulous for higher-end video. On the plus side, the system does include an HDMI port in case you want to connect to an even bigger screen.

All the other specs are about what you'd expect, including a DVD burner, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Windows 7 Home Premium x64. Because this is a refurb, however, the warranty expires after 90 days.

And the deal itself will no doubt expire long before that--possibly even today. So if you're looking for a big, big laptop for a low, low price (one of the lowest I've seen, in fact), act fast.

Panasonic Toughbook 53 gets smaller, faster

Panasonic's new Toughbook looks a lot like its old Toughbook. That is to say, it's bulky, is rated for MIL-STD-810G tests including drops up to 30 inches on its sides or 12 inches on the corners, and has a magnesium-alloy case, a shock-mounted hard drive, and spill-resistant keyboard.

The differences, however, are many: the new Toughbook 53 has lost over a pound of weight, dropping to a reasonable 5.6 pounds and downsizing its screen from 15.6 inches to 14 inches. The track pad has gotten larger, and added multitouch. 4G LTE service is now offered--a first for Toughbooks--as an alternative to still-available Gobi2000 3G broadband. The Toughbook 53 now comes with a choice of second-gen Intel Core i3-2310M or Core i5-2520M CPUs, increased hard-drive capacities, and an optional touch screen with CircuLumin technology, which offers a wide range of brightnesses from 2-800 nits as well as antiglare and polarizing for viewing in bright daylight. There are a few new ports as well, including an SDXC card slot, HDMI, and USB 3.0, catching up to the current standards in consumer laptops.

The prices aren't as expensive as you'd think: the Core i5 Toughbook 53 starts at $1,899, and ships in June. A Core i3 model, available in August, will cost $1,599. The touchscreen Core i5 will cost quite a bit more, at $2,499.

We can't say we'd personally consider buying one, but there are plenty of contractors and government workers who will. Are you one of them?

HP unveils New Laptops: HP Mini 210, HP Envy 14, HP Pavilion dv4

HP releases three new laptops into the computers market, NetBook-size Mini, and even a few professional-level ProBooks and Elitebooks.

One of These new laptops have been named as HP Envy 14 part of HP’s premium Envy line, this device is built in with Intel’s Sandy Bridge CPU’s which gives more efficiency to battery life rather than the last year models, and its view is similar to the previous editions and HP promises that the large clickpad is more user-friendly (with multitouch gestures were a little wonky on the current versions), and USB version 3.0 fits in good, and it will be coming out with a reasonable price tag of $999.

Second one is called HP Mini 210 is a NetBook built in with Intel Atom processor same as the earlier edition, but the new model has added some new lid colors like sweet purple, charcoal, crimson red, luminous rose, and ocean drive and the best part is Mini 210 has got NetBook version of the same Beats Audio technology found in the high-end Envy laptops and this NetBook will be costing around $300 to $330 available in June.

Third one is HP Pavilion dv4 is equipped with the latest version of HP’s Cool Sense technology which is generally a user control panel for the cooling fans, and the HP Pavilion will come out for $599 starting May 18th.

It is not the end but for Corporate and business users series of new ProBook and EliteBook models, the ProBook 5330m is slim 13-inch with Intel’s newest Sandy Bridge CPUs and a backlit keyboard, as well as TPM and Intel vPro technology and this really helpful in Corporate IT departments.

The EliteBook 2560p and 2760p is graphed over the high end business users with its stylish metallic finishes and thin designs, with a price tag of $1,100 12.5-inch 2560p is a traditional clamshell, and $1,500 12-inch 2760p has a swiveling convertible touchscreen all these models should be available in May.

All these devices are equipped with 3G antennas and Hewlett-Packard is offering 3G Mobile Broadband Service for Laptops.

Panasonic Upgrades Toughbook 52, Releases New 53 Rugged Laptop

The Toughbook line is fairly self-explanatory given its name, however, the beauty of achieving a reliable and ruggedized laptop is all in the details. Unveiled today, but not rolling out until June, the Toughbook 53 utilizes Intel's 2nd generation Core i5 and i3 CPU technology for a more modern and battery-efficient laptop (up to 10 hours, according to Panasonic).

Its chassis is made of magnesium alloy—a material that is more difficult to manipulate than plastic or aluminum. The 14-inch screen has a 1,366-by-768 resolution (720p) and Panasonic's technology has enabled the screen to be viewable in the great outdoors. The 2-800 nitt adjustable screen brightness undoubtedly also helps, however, this option is only available if you've selected to configure your model to have a touch screen. For the business-end users that use their car as their office, an optional 1.3-megapixel webcam can be installed above the screen along with a digital mic for video conferencing. Wireless connectivity options include 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. Optional integrated 4G LTE, Bluetooth 2.1, Gobi2000 (3G broadband from Qualcomm), and dual-antenna pass-through are available for road warriors.

Security features include a fingerprint reader and a more advanced Smartcard reader for those with more sensitive material. An ExpressCard, SDXC, PC Card, HDMI, VGA, audio jacks, FireWire (optional), Ethernet, one USB 3.0, and 3 USB 2.0 are included to connect you to your media or peripherals. The hard drive spins at a slower 5,400rpm than the faster 7,200rpm to prevent damage during travel and accidental drops. If you're looking for that extra edge in performance, Panasonic also has a 128GB solid state drive (SSD) as an option.

The Toughbook 53's rugged features are the main contributors to its 5.6-pound weight. Panasonic has put the laptop through its own torture tests, dropping it on six sides from 30 inches. The keyboard is spill resistant and I was told you could use it in the shower, but not in the bath. So, if you're looking to test the Kramer shower lifestyle depicted in that Seinfeld episode, this computer will likely oblige.

The Toughbook 53 has a shock-mounted feature that allows it to be a more passenger-friendly carpooler; the vibrations across highway and "rugged terrain" will be less likely to damage your internal hardware. Covert operation users will appreciate the MIL-STD-810 tests Panasonic has put the Toughbook 53 through, including altitude (up to 15,000 ft), humidity, and dust.

The three-year warranty adds to its reliability (as this is the usual lifespan of laptops nowadays). The Intel Core i5-2520M goes on sale first in June, with a starting price of $1,899; the Intel Core i3-2310M model will be sold in August with a starting price of $1,599; and the touch version will be sold starting in July at the base price of $2,449 (only with Core i5 processor and 4-8GB of RAM). For those who want a larger screen, however, the 15.4-inch Toughbook 52 will still be sold with the upgraded to the current 2nd gen Intel Core i CPUs and discrete GPUs.

Caterpillar Watch Crawls 'Round Your Wrist to Tell Time

With timepieces embedded into every electronic gizmo nowadays, the humble wristwatch is on its way out, you might think. That's until you see this bizarrely cool prototype watch from designer Nicolas Lehotzky. Driven by a caterpillar-tread-alike drive, it turns the time-telling process inside out, from a virtual display into a sedate physical crawl around your wrist once every 12 hours. Brilliant! Forget the fact it looks slightly uncomfy... it's such a neat design I'd practically chop my arm off to own one, though that'd then complicate wearing it.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/5024770/caterpillar-watch-crawls-round-your-wrist-to-tell-time

Roundest Spheres in the World Produced

Even with man's advancements in developing increasingly intricate microprocessors and ever taller skyscrapers, there's one thing we cannot do. We cannot make a completely perfect sphere. Sure, we can get close. But a new problem has provoked a more perfect execution. The kilogram needs to be standardized across many countries as the 120-year-old physical platinum standard is changing in mass. And deviations in measurement have screwed up the value of a kilogram across the globe.

Luckily one man could create the perfect sphere. And he could do it by hand.

Achim Leistner was an optical engineer from the Australian Center for Precision Optics, pulled out of retirement to create two perfect spheres.

Another team started by creating a pure batch of silicon-28, spun in ex-Soviet centrifuges that were once used for uranium. Then in Germany, a team grew a pure crystal from the silicon, which was sliced into blocks and sent to Leistner.

Leistner and his crew used two spinning rotors to grind the spheres by hand—a process that took several months to complete. Their resulting spheres were accurate in smoothness to 0.3 nanometers and curvature to 60 to 70 nanometers. New Scientist explains that if these spheres were increased to Earth proportions, you'd see smoothness deviations of only 12 to 15 mm and roundness variation of 3 to 5 meters.

For the full remarkable story, be sure to hit the link.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5021010/roundest-spheres-in-the-world-produced

Sony's PS3 movie download service rolling out Stateside this summer

Sony just released a rambling update to it corporate strategy through fiscal year 2010. An interesting read for fans and competitors alike as Sony lays bare initiatives intent on moving Sony from recovery to the "leading global provider of networked consumer electronics and entertainment." Most notable in the near-term however, is word from Kazuo Hirai, chieftain of Sony Computer Entertainment, that Sony will make a movie download service available to US PlayStation 3 owners this summer -- Japan and Europe at later dates with details coming "next month," presumably at E3. Moreover, Sony expects its gaming business to achieve profitability by March 2009, the end of the current fiscal year. Of course, we already knew that Sony was prepped to deliver full-length TV shows and movies sometime in 2008 via its North American PLAYSTATION Network. But summer, eh? Judging by the increased molecular agitation of sidewalk effluence, we'd say that Sony's season of movie downloads is already upon us.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/26/sony-launching-movie-downloads-in-us-this-summer/

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 hands-on, sorta

So here's the scene. We're at the Digital Experience show, trying to get our hands on a powered-up Sony Xperia X1. Sure, we found a unit that wasn't powered up, but that does you -- and us -- no good. Sony told us to come back in 15 minutes, so we grabbed some press kits, made a round of booths, and came back.

Sure enough, when we came back the X1 was powered up, but the nice booth lady tried to tell us that things weren't working just right and the unit was stuck on the config screen. After some jiggering, we determined the little X1 was just stuck on the touch screen calibration, and we were cruising through menus within minutes. It's pretty clear this unit wasn't ready for primetime -- you'll even see some HTC test apps in the below gallery -- but we were impressed by the screen's resolution and brightness. Windows Mobile 6.1 showed it face often in the UI, but the phone app and general utilities were looking good.

Overall, the X1 is a pleasure to behold -- it's one sexy device. That said, we'll have to wait how Sony Ericsson's user interface shapes up and just look at the pretty pictures in the gallery until mid-September.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/26/sony-ericsson-xperia-x1-hands-on-sorta/

World’s Fastest Flashgun Can Capture An Image Of A Light Wave

Ok, this is officially the coolest image I’ve ever seen. What you see on the right is a pulse of light that is 2.5 billionths of a millionth of a second long. The image was captured by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany and the flash of laser light that made it possible lasted just 80 attoseconds. (An attosecond is one billionth of one billionth of a second.) The previous record for the shortest light pulse was 130 attoseconds set in 2007, and almost halving that number a year later is an impressive feat

But don’t expect your Nikon or Canon DSLR to pull off a cool shot like this. The team responsible for it used a laser firing extremely short pulses into a cloud of neon gas which ionized the neon atoms. This then releases electrons which the researchers were able to measure in order to produce this side-profile shot of the laser pulse.

The light pulses are produced by firing longer, but still very short laser pulses into a cloud of neon gas. The laser gives a kick of energy to the neon atoms, which then release this energy in the form of brief pulses of extreme ultraviolet light.

The trigger pulses contained only one or two oscillations of a light wave so that they packed a compact energy punch when they reached the neon cloud. To do this, the researchers had to corral the trigger-pulse photons into a tightly packed bunch using a device called a chirped mirror. These multilayered mirrors make the photons at the front of a pulse travel further than the slower photons at the rear do. That gives the back markers time to catch up, in this case producing a tight pack of photons that hit the neon atoms at roughly the same time.

To find out how short the light flashes from the neon atoms were, Goulielmakis and colleagues directed them onto a second neon gas cloud. As each flash is intense enough to completely ionise a neon atom and release an electron, the researchers could use those electrons like a flashgun, to illuminate some of the original 2.5 femtosecond trigger pulses of laser light.

Since the microscopic world is still a big mystery to us, this method might eventually allow researches to visualize the movements of electrons around atoms, or even ’see’ nuclear particles like protons.

Source: http://www.ohgizmo.com/2008/06/23/worlds-fastest-flashgun-can-capture-an-image-of-a-light-wave/

Motozine ZN5 Camera Phone Now Official

We've been talking about this cellphone for a while, but today Motorola and Kodak officially spilled the beans. As we thought, the ZN5's a phone that's as much camera as phone, with a 5-megapixel Kodak unit on its back. This is quick-launched by sliding the lens cover, and has a Xenon flash, auto-focus and even auto-stitches panorama shots. The phone itself has CrystalTalk for high sound quality, Bluetooth, full browser and wi-fi (for photo transfers, and the web.) Due out in China in July at first, then globally through '08. Press release below.

Motorola and Kodak Redefine the Mobile Imaging Experience with MOTOZINE™ ZN5

BEIJING, CHINA — 23 June 2008 – Motorola (NYSE: MOT), a leader in wireless communications, and Kodak (NYSE: EK), the world’s foremost imaging innovator, today announced MOTOZINE™ ZN5, the first product combining world-class innovation from both companies. The MOTOZINE ZN5 combines a high-quality phone and camera experience to help content-craving consumers seize inspiration and share the content they create and love with the world.

Unveiled today in Beijing at a gallery-inspired event, ZINE ZN5 delivers an easy and immersive mobile imaging experience. ZN5 is the first mobile phone to combine Motorola’s ModeShift Technology and KODAK Imaging Technology. Together, they redefine the quality, convenience and connectivity of mobile imaging devices. With KODAK EASYSHARE Software and easy access to KODAK Gallery1 or other web sharing sites,2 pictures are easily moved off the device, allowing consumers to print, share and enjoy their favorite photos whenever they want.

“Today’s creative consumers not only want to be the photographer, but also the retoucher, the exhibitor and the critic,” said Jeremy Dale, corporate vice president, mobile devices marketing, Motorola, Inc. “The MOTOZINE ZN5 lets them be all the things they want to be.”

Built to Shoot
ZN5 puts image capture first, with a high-resolution landscape screen and one of the fastest click-to-click times available. To launch the camera, simply slide open the Kodak lens cover to transform the phone into an ultra-fast 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, a Xenon flash, 4GB of optional external memory3 and optimized settings for low-light environments.

Built-in KODAK Imaging Technology ensures that every picture taken with ZN5 looks its best. When KODAK Imaging Technology is combined with KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology, images become brighter and more vivid on the spot. Multiple capture modes, like multi-shot and panorama, which automatically stitches together continuous shots taken on the horizon line into a single, extended image1, makes taking photos fun.

“KODAK Imaging Technology combines Kodak’s unparalleled experience in imaging science with easy connectivity to the company’s vast portfolio of products and services,” said John Blake, general manager digital capture and imaging devices group, vice president Eastman Kodak Company. “We have redefined the quality, convenience and connectivity of mobile imaging devices. We have worked closely with Motorola to create a device that not only delivers Kodak-quality pictures, but allows consumers to explore a wide range of options for sharing their photos with friends and family around the world.”

Built to Share
With one touch, photos can be viewed right from the home screen; no menus, no searching. This multimedia device provides a fun, quick and easy way to share favorite photos. Pictures can be uploaded via Gallery Link in one simple click and instantly shared to the KODAK Gallery (www.kodakgallery.com)1 to be viewed, stored and shared with friends and family. ShoZu can be used to upload photos to a variety of social networking sites1. ZN5 comes with KODAK EASYSHARE Software, the world’s most used photo software, making it easy to organize, edit, share, store and find mobile pictures1. Consumers can transfer pictures to a computer via USB, Wi-Fi1 or Bluetooth® wireless technology4 and print wirelessly on Bluetooth-compatible KODAK All-in-One Printers and at KODAK Picture Kiosks.

Built to Talk
In phone mode, ZN5 features Motorola’s patented CrystalTalkTM technology to help callers hear and be heard, even in noisy environments. With dual compatibility for GSM and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), users can connect in more areas around the world2 and enjoy high-speed wireless connections to surf the Web via a full HTML browser2. To complete the communications experience, ZN5 also supports SMS, MMS, IM and personal e-mail2.

The MOTOZINE Multimedia Experience
MOTOZINE ZN5 is the first device to carry the MOTOZINE franchise name, Motorola’s new label for its multimedia-optimized devices. For the consumer who thrives on content consumption and creation, products in the ZINE portfolio give them the freedom to shape pop culture, on their terms.

MOTOZINE ZN5 will be first available in China in July 2008 and is expected to roll out around the globe throughout the remainder of the year. For more information regarding pricing and product availability in your region, please contact your local Motorola representative.

About Kodak
As the world's foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers, businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and printing to enrich their lives.

To learn more, visit http://www.kodak.com/, and our blogs: 1000words.kodak.com, PluggedIn.kodak.com, and GrowYourBiz.kodak.com.

Editor’s Note: Kodak corporate news releases are now offered via RSS feeds. To subscribe, visit www.kodak.com/go/RSS and look for the RSS symbol. In addition, Kodak podcasts are viewable at www.kodak.com/go/podcasts. Our podcasts may be downloaded for viewing on iTunes, Quicktime, or other PC-based media players. Users may also subscribe to Kodak podcasts via the iTunes application if already installed on your computer. From the iTunes store, type “Kodak podcast” in the search field to view all of our podcast offerings.

Kodak, EasyShare and Perfect Touch are trademarks of Kodak.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5018717/motozine-zn5-camera-phone-now-official

Dell Latitude XT displays compared: daylight viewable vs. LED

When Dell's long-awaited Latitude XT finally hit the scenes, many were captivated by the idea of a daylight viewable screen on such a portable rig. Up until now, however, there's been little analysis over which was actually superior. Granted, we aren't saying that you can't disagree firmly with GottaBeMobile's assessment, but after checking each out for an extended period of time, Rob Bushway actually concluded that the LED-based machine was preferable. Aside from coming in a few ounces lighter, the LED-equipped unit didn't seem to perform noticeably worse than the DLV counterpart, and even battery life was practically the same for each.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/03/dell-latitude-xt-displays-compared-daylight-viewable-vs-led/

The Veldini Q Wristwatch Was Inspired By James Bond: And it Has the Spy Gadgets to Prove It

Even if eavesdropping on your co-worker's personal phone calls is the closest you will ever get to becoming a spy, a watch filled with spy gadgets is hard for any man to resist. Perhaps that is why Veldini plans on releasing at least 3 different models of their new "Q" James Bond inspired wristwatch. Each will feature its own set of tools geared towards a specific scenario: outdoor use, spy use, and everyday use.

The outdoor version will include a flat Phillips screwdriver, flint stick and combo edge blade while the spy version will utilize a diamond tip glass cutter, Phillips head screwdriver, lock pick, magnifying glass and a straight edge blade. Users interested in the everyday version will get a flat Phillips screwdriver, bottle opener, refillable pen, magnifying glass and a combo-edge blade. As an added touch, the design of the "Q" watch resembles the hammer mechanism of 007's Walther PPK pistol.




The watches are currently in pre-production and a timetable for their release has not yet been determined. However, expect to pay far out the ass to feel like James Bond—to the tune of $2-$3,000 for the sterling silver model, $5-$7000 for Gold or Rose Gold and $10-$15,000 for platinum.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/393169/the-veldini-q-wristwatch-was-inspired-by-james-bond-and-it-has-the-spy-gadgets-to-prove-it

Acer Predator gaming rig: Faster. Deeper. Harder. Further

Hey, that's Acer's overtly compensating tag line, not our take on this totally over-the-top gaming rig. Acer's new Aspire G7700 Predator desktop offers options such as an overclocking quad-core, Core 2 Extreme proc, up to 8GB of DDR2 800/1066 memory, and 3x NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX graphics cards kept in check by liquid cooled core. It features what Acer calls a "world's first optical bay mechanism" revealing a pair of 5.25-inch drive bays which you can stuff with a DVD drive, BD/HD DVD drive or both. The box can be configured with up to 4x, 3.5-inch SATA hot-swappable hard drives (including 10k RPM raptors) with RAID support. No street date or pricing yet, but we've got plenty of pics in the gallery.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/21/acer-predator-gaming-rig-faster-deeper-harder-further/

Sony Brings Out 5.1 Home Theater Sound System With Golf Ball-Sized Speakers

Demonstrating that fab things come in small packages is this Sony lay-dee, who's proffering one of the five golf ball-sized speakers of the HT-IS100 home theater sound system for your loving eyes to inspect. It's a 5.1-channel, three-HDMI input system and will be released in Japan on July 15 at a cost of around $870. Full details and a couple more pics below.



The small-fry speakers come with a subwoofer/amp with built-in 32-bit S-Master digital amplifier. Total output is 45W x 5 channels, with 100W x 2 from the sub. Supported audio formats include Dolby Digital and DTS, Dolby Pro Logic II, MPEG-2 AAC and linear PCM, as well as Standard, Multi, and various movie and sounds modes.



And if any of you are itching to make a joke about ping pong balls, JUST DON'T, okay?


Source: http://gizmodo.com/392325/sony-brings-out-51-home-theater-sound-system-with-golf-ball+sized-speakers

North American Ford Fiesta to cost less than $15K

North America has missed out on a host of exciting and award-winning Ford products sold in Europe for decades - vehicles like the S-Max, Mondeo and Fiesta compact - but that will soon change as the Blue Oval has introduced a new global strategy where only one model, albeit in slightly different variations, will be sold across all markets. The first of these new global models will be the Fiesta due in North America late next year or in early 2010.

Pricing has for long been an issue for Ford when introducing European-spec models into North America. The cars in Europe are significantly more expensive than their equivalent counterparts North America and, with the U.S. dollar continuing to weaken, the problem has been compounded.

Despite the unfavorable condition, Edmunds reports that the new Fiesta will cost less than the current U.S. model Focus, which already sells for less than $15,000. To achieve the low price point, Ford’s U.S. design director for cars, Murray Callum, explains that engineers were able to keep costs low by working with suppliers on new technologies that produce premium-type interior materials for a lot less money.

Ford is also hoping that buyers downsizing from big SUVs packed with leather and luxury equipment will still find the car cheap and good value when compared with their current gas-guzzling trucks.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/hatchbacks/north-american-ford-fiesta-to-cost-less-than-15k/

Dell's Vostro 1310, 1510, and 1710 small business laptops redefine boxy

Dell just pumped out a trio of Vostro laptops for small businesses. The new 13.3-inch Vostro 1310 (starting at $749), 15.4-inch Vostro 1510 (starting at $599), and redesigned 17-inch Vostra 1710 (price, undisclosed) all feature a slot loading optical drive and thinner / lighter designs. They also ship with 10GB of free online storage, Network Assistant and PC TuneUp -- all crapware free. The 1310 and 1510 are available today in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) then May 1st for the Americas. The 17-incher hits mid-May.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/15/nokias-6212-with-bluetooth-nfc-let-the-pairing-revolution-begi/

LG's Ice Cream Phone!

You can't eat it but it should look tasty in summer... What is it? The LG Ice Cream Phone (aka LG-LH5000). Available in three colors (white - vanilla, sweet pink - strawberry and sweet blue - pistachio), it's a 3G phone rocking a 2.2" screen, 2MPx digicam, multimedia player, e-dictionary... So far only for our Korean friends.


Source: http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-15753-LG%27s+Ice+Cream+Phone%21.html

Colorware gets ahold of Guitar Hero axes -- we're in love

If you thought a Colorware'd DS Lite was the new heat, get a load of this. The company famous for making gadgetry of all kinds look its best has turned its talents on the iconic Guitar Hero axe, and we must say, we're infatuated. Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 thrashers are all invited, and while users can join the revolution for as little as $198 (that includes the title and a painted instrument), current slingers can send their guitar in and get it colorized for as little as $99. For those on a budget, we strongly recommend not clicking the links below. Those completely unafraid of purging their wallet on impulse buys can go ahead.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/01/colorware-gets-ahold-of-guitar-hero-axes-were-in-love/

Google’s Index Now on Your Wrist with GWatch Launch

While we are supposed to be under embargo on this until later today, we wanted to be the first to show you the latest breakthrough to be offered by Google. The Google Watch, or GWatch for short.

The Google USB Search Watch (Model #8002RPA10; estimated retail $89) will bring Google’s popular search engine technology to a wristwatch. Apparently users will be able to use a modified Google API to view search results on your wrist. At launch, the “GWatch” will be limited to local search results–your zip, city, or state. Google has plans to turn the GWatch into a mobile Chumby-like device–adding widgets, RSS feeds, and YouTube videos in the future. By plugging the watch into your computer and downloading the compressed local index, you’ll be able to search more than 100 million geo-targeted web pages.

Wondering how the interface works? Apparently, Google is using the same voice recognition software it uses for GOOG-411. By pushing the right-hand dial-adjuster, you’ll be able to “tell” GWatch what you are looking for. Results will then be streamed across the watch face, similar to a stock ticker or live RSS feed.

Google insiders tell me that if the product is a success, they will offer a WiMAX version of the watch that will free it from the restrictions of storing the index within the watch and allow users to search the entire Google index.

More details should come later today, but we wanted to make sure our readers were the first to hear about it.

Source: http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2008/04/google-watch.html