TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

Not wanting to be left out of the party, Toshiba has also announced its entry into the tablet fray at IFA 2010 with the Android-powered Folio 100. The device measures 10.1-inch across and offers a capacitive multi-touch screen sporting a 1,024 x 600 pixel resolution. It is one of the first major shipping products to use Nvidia's Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip, which reportedly provides snappy performance and can handle 1080p playback (over a mini HDMI output) while keeping power draw in check. Battery life is listed at 7 hours of 'normal use' and the whole thing weighs in at just 760 grams.

Other specifications include 16GB internal storage that can be expanded via a combined SD/MMC card reader, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and 3G broadband, a 1.3mp webcam, accelerometer, DLNA compatibility, and access to Toshiba's Market Place for applications -- unfortunately that means it won't have access to the official Google Android Market. It does have a decent bunch of pre-installed apps, including the Opera Mobile web browser, Documents To Go office suite, Evernote, Fring, Adobe Flash 10.1, Toshiba media player, and the ebook reading app FBReader.


Toshiba says the Folio 100 is due to roll out across Europe, Middle East and Africa during the fourth quarter of this year with a suggested retail price of around €399 ($512). No word on U.S. availability for now.

Samsung has officially revealed its much anticipated iPad competitor during IFA 2010 in Berlin this week. Dubbed the Galaxy Tab, the device features a 7-inch TFT-LCD capacitive touch screen display with a 1024 x 600 resolution, 1.06 GHz Cortex A8 processor, 512MB RAM, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, 3G, and dual cameras for capturing still images, videos or making video calls. It also has support for a number of different formats, including DivX, Xvid, WMV and MPEG-4.

Like most other manufacturers entering this burgeoning market, Samsung has made Google's Android its platform of choice -- the Galaxy Tab is shipping with the latest version available, Android 2.2 Froyo, which means it also supports Adobe Flash content. It will run an optimized version of Samsung's TouchWiz user interface and come bundled with the company's own Social Hub, which collects messages from different social networks in one place, MediaHub, an online store for renting and buying video, and MusicHub and ReaderHub for purchasing music and books, respectively.

Samsung will also pre-install an augmented reality application called Layar, which makes use of the device's GPS and sensors, and Swype for faster typing by gliding your finger from one letter to another on a virtual keyboard. The Galaxy Tab will be available in Europe in mid-September and in the U.S. before the end of the year. We don't yet know what the price will be but we'll definitely keep an eye out.

Reassessing the PC market's performance, Gartner has released an updated 2010 forecast that is lower than previously expected. The research house predicts that PC shipments will grow by 15.3%, which is 2% less than earlier estimates. "There is no doubt that consumer, if not business PC demand has slowed relative to expectations in mature markets," the firm said.

Consumers kept the market afloat in 2009, and the same is true for 2010. However, economic woes in Europe have made PC suppliers cautious this year, and apparently that fear itself is partly to blame for the decreased shipment estimation. "Suppliers' risk-aversion is as much a factor in these shifts as any actual downshift in demand." Demand will remain high as consumers now view the PC as a necessity rather than a luxury.

Meanwhile, in a separate report, Gartner has raised its semiconductor revenue forecast for 2010. Revenue is expected to reach $300 billion, a 31.5% increase from 2009. That's up from the researcher's previous estimate of 27.1% growth on-year.

Since the arrival of Intel's P55 chipset and the LGA1156 platform almost a year ago, over a dozen different motherboards based on that product line have passed through our testing lab. Some of the best offerings we've come across include the well equipped MSI P55-GD65, Asrock's value priced P55 Extreme, and the Asus P7P55D Deluxe which received high honors for its amazing overclocking abilities and excellent board design.

But while each of the aforementioned products held their own in our 7-way motherboard round-up last year, today they're starting to show their age with missing features such as SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0. Asrock currently has numerous P55 based products on offer targeting a variety of price points. Their latest offering, the P55 Extreme4, comes feature packed with a relatively affordable price of just $150.


Indeed, the Asrock P55 Extreme4 looks to be the one of the best equipped LGA1156 motherboards that we have ever come across, which is saying something at this price point. But as you surely know, real world performance isn't always in step with spec sheets, so let's delve deeper into the P55 Extreme4 to find out what this motherboard is really all about.

Read the complete review.

Microsoft announced today that its upcoming smartphone platform has reached the RTM milestone -- the final development stage before shipping to Europeans in October, and Americans in November. The company said internal engineering is "largely complete," but hardware and carrier partners still have work to do. Only a handful of changes were made to the RTM build: Facebook contacts filtering and "Like" capability added to the People hub, and various UI tweaks, including a new search button in the contacts list.


Windows Phone 7 is said to be Redmond's "most thoroughly tested mobile platform." It had nearly 10,000 devices running automated tests daily, over 500,000 hours of active self-hosting use, more than 3.5 million hours of stress tests, and 8.5 million hours of fully automated tests. WP7 was also used by thousands of independent vendors and early adopters. "We are ready," said Microsoft. We're not sure how that compares to others, but it sounds impressive nonetheless.

With the first month of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty behind us, millions of gamers around the globe have purchased Blizzard's latest blockbuster. In a brief sales update, the company said it's shipped over three million copies in the initial month of availability in North America, Europe, South Korea, Australia, Russia and many other regions.

The sequel bagged a million sales in the first day, and another 500,000 in the second, making it the fastest selling strategy game of all time and the bestselling PC game this year. Blizzard, of course, says it's pleased with the title's reception thus far, despite a handful of complaints about game balance and Battle.net features -- some of which should be resolved in the first retail patch this month.


Many of the changes were detailed in a "Situation Report" last week. They're mostly just race balance tweaks so far, but Blizzard says it has "mid- to long-term plans" for custom games and social features such as chat channels, which would make it easier for players to meet in-game. In the meantime, if you're looking for someone to play with, feel free to add me (Zenosincks/876) or share your info in the comments.

Nvidia may have devised a strategy to bypass Intel's northbridge blockade: flank 'em from the south. According to unnamed sources in the motherboard industry, the GPU maker plans to stuff a graphics core inside a southbridge, possibly sidestepping the existing legal restrictions. DigiTimes reports that Nvidia's product might even be $10 to $15 cheaper than Intel's offerings.

When Intel developed its Nehalem-based chips, it severed a longstanding license agreement with Nvidia. The architecture (and subsequent advancements) utilize an embedded memory controller. Intel claims these types of chips aren't included in the agreement, effectively preventing Nvidia from making northbridges that interface with Intel's latest platforms.

However, the DigiTimes report claims that "Nvidia is developing the new chipset to bypass Intel's new Sandy Bridge architecture." What's more, with the recent investigations by the US FTC and suits for unfair business practices, it would be unwise for chipzilla to do anything that could be seen as anti-competitive.

At a media briefing in San Francisco today Steve Jobs took the stage to unveil what he claims is "the biggest change in the iPod lineup ever." Most notably, Apple added a front-facing camera and FaceTime to the iPod touch, as well as the stunning 'Retina Display' from the iPhone 4, an Apple A4 core, rear camera with HD video, 3-axis gyroscope, and Game Center support for multi-player gaming. Quite a hefty refresh which essentially makes this an iPhone without 3G calls or contracts, available next week in three versions: $229 for 8GB, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB.


On the other side of the spectrum Jobs introduced a $49 2GB iPod shuffle model that brings back buttons and includes popular features such as voice over, playlists, and genius mixes. A completely new iPod nano eliminates the click wheel and instead features a tiny screen and multi-touch user interface. Users can swipe through or tap on app icons to navigate music playlists, artists and Genius mixes. It also has Nike+ and a pedometer, FM radio, "Shake to Shuffle" and is wearable with a clip. It will be available in six colors and two capacities: $149 for the 8GB unit and $169 for the 16GB.

On the software front, besides quickly sharing some statistics and highlighting the latest iOS 4.1 release, slated for next week, Jobs took an unusual step by pre-announcing the next version of Apple's mobile platform which he pledged would "be all about iPad" when it ships in November. Key features of iOS 4.2 include wireless printing, AirPlay (the new name for AirTunes), and audio, video, and photo streaming to other devices via Wi-Fi. Apple also introduced iTunes 10 and a new music-focused social network built into it called "Ping" -- according to Jobs it's Facebook and Twitter meet iTunes.

Continue reading...

Samsung SyncMaster 24" 1080p LCD Display for $160 + free shipping

Today only, Dell Home offers the Samsung SyncMaster 24" 1080p LCD Monitor, model no. 2494LW, for $159.99. With free shipping, that's tied with a deal from last week as the lowest total price we've ever seen for this monitor. It's a current price low by $62. Sales tax is added where applicable. It features a 1920x1080 (1080p) resolution, 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 300 cd/m² brightness, 5ms response time, both DVI and VGA inputs, and more.

Five more tech deals after the jump.

When Microsoft first announced its plan to provide a Family Pack upgrade for Windows 7, the company said it would be a limited time offer. Indeed, in less than two months supplies had largely run out, leaving those who held off from updating early with the option to pay for a full retail license or getting an OEM copy and deal with a few minor restrictions -- which is well worth it in our opinion. Now it appears the deal is back in the same "while supplies last" fashion.

According to an announcement on the Windows Experience Blog, U.S. customers will be able to purchase the Windows 7 Family Pack starting October 3, while consumers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the U.K. and other markets can expect the same deal on or after October 22. The package provides three upgrade licenses for Windows 7 Home Premium for $149.99 -- a savings of roughly $180 considering each copy would cost you $110 - $120 if bought separately.

It's unclear for how long the deal will be available this time around, but if you have two or more PCs in your home and you want to upgrade them to Windows 7 be sure not to miss it. Family Pack will be sold at select brick-and-mortar and online retail outlets, as well as through Microsoft's online store and retail stores the company now operates.

Sony rolls out rival to iTunes @ BBC News
Video experiment shows off HTML5 on Chrome @ CNet
Telltale Games times 'Back to the Future' project @ GameHunters
China Requires ID for Cellphone Numbers @ NYTimes
See more articles and reviews.

Five years ago in TechSpot:
Apple finally ready to launch iTunes phone?

HP has announced a slew of new consumer laptops designed to bring entertainment-centric features and updated specs just in time for the upcoming holiday season. One model that will likely get a lot of attention is the HP Envy 17 3D, which is basically an update of the original 17.3-inch desktop replacement featuring support for 1080p high-def resolutions , a Blu-ray drive and active-shutter 3D goggles from Xpan HD to enjoy stereoscopic 3D content powered by Mobility Radeon HD 5850 graphics, as well as a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and up to two terabytes of hard disk space.

HP and AMD have a list of 200 games that will work with the 3D bundle. Prices for the Envy 17 3D configurations were not mentioned, but we expect them to start under the $2,000 mark when they become available in the coming weeks. The company is also readying a special-edition HP Envy 14 with a sleek all-black design and several features aimed at music aficionados, including Beats Audio processing and Beats By Dr. Dre headphones for a starting price of $1,250.


Also featured in today's announcement is a system based on Intel's 2010 Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage platform. The 13.3-inch Pavilion dm3 boasts a magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis, Nehalem-based Pentium U5400 processor with two 1.2GHz cores, integrated Intel HD graphics, and a reasonably tight 18W power envelope -- all for a starting price of just $549.99. HP claims the Pavilion dm3 is capable of a very respectable 7.5 hours of battery life.

Finally, two of its netbook models are also receiving makeovers: the HP Mini 210 basically gets a bunch of color options and the business-oriented HP Mini 5103 is now offered with the optional new dual-core Intel Atom processor N550, in addition to the Intel Atom N455 and N475 chips.

Acer is preparing to rip the covers off a sleeker version of its Aspire Revo home theater PC at this year's IFA. The Revo RL100 appears to be quite a bit thinner than its predecessor and, as Netbooknews notes, the system is a little remindful of the PlayStation 2 Slim. The machine is powered by a dual-core 1.3GHz AMD Athlon II Neo K325 processor, along with Nvidia Ion graphics.

The specs are rounded out by 2GB of RAM, a 160GB HDD, a DVD burner, 802.11n wireless, Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output, S/PDIF connectivity, and it comes preloaded with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. It also ships with a "Revo Pad" wireless remote control with illuminated touch keys, a multitouch trackpad, and can be slipped into the Revo's chassis when not in use.


Pricing isn't available at the moment, but IFA kicks off in Berlin this Friday, September 3. Early shipments are underway (or will be shortly) in Asia and Europe, but there's no word on US availability.

Anandtech has served up a healthy appetizer of Intel's forthcoming Sandy Bridge architecture. The site got its mitts on a sample of the Core i5 2400, which is a quad-core CPU that runs at 3.1GHz and has 6MB of L3 cache. Like this year's Clarkdale/Arrandale chips, Sandy Bridge units will also carry an integrated GPU -- and if the 2400 is any indication, the new graphics core is pretty snappy for an Intel IGP.

In a nutshell, the test showed a 10% performance increase over today's similarly-clocked processors without consuming more power. More impressively, the integrated graphics outpaced a discrete ATI Radeon HD 5450 by a respectable margin in many benchmarks, showing playable frame rates on some recent games like Dragon Age: Origins, Modern Warfare 2, and BioShock 2 -- albeit on lower-quality settings.


Sadly, Intel plans to complicate the process of overclocking (again). The company will sell most mainstream Sandy Bridge processors with locked (or "partially unlocked") multipliers. Overclockers will have to purchase K-series products, which will be unlocked at a premium price. Be sure to read Anand's exhaustive 13-page preview here.

Archos has expanded its tablet line with five new devices spanning from 2.8 to 10.1-inches. The company opted for a straightforward naming convention, with each slate's model number representing its display size: 28, 32, 43, 70, and 101 (sans decimals obviously). At their core, they all share similar specifications and features: Android 2.2, support for Flash 10.1, an ARM Cortex A8 processor, 802.11 Wi-Fi as well as tethering and hotspot functionality on devices with 3G.

Starting from the top, the Archos 28 is a 2.8-inch media player sporting a 320x240 resistive touchscreen, an 800MHz CPU, and 4GB of storage for $100. For another $50, the 3.2-inch model adds a bit more screen and doubles the storage to 8GB. The $200 Archos 43 also has a resistive display, but increases the processing power to 1GHz, resolution to 854x480 and has a 720p camera on the rear.


The 7-incher features a capacitive screen, a front-facing VGA camera, a mini-HDMI port, and costs $275 with 8GB of internal memory or $350 with 250GB. Archos' flagship measures 10.1-inches with a 1024x600 resolution, supports 720p video playback, and it sacrifices storage space (8GB for $300 or 16GB for $350) to achieve a trim profile, measuring less than half an inch thick.

Although each device comes with Froyo, none have the Android Market, nor do they use Google's applications (such as maps). They instead offer Archos' "AppsLib" store for software, and apparently ship with whatever native app alternatives the company has whipped up. The three smaller units are expect to land sometime next month, while the larger 70 and 101 models will be ready later in the year.