Google launches $249 Chromebook

(Photo: Google)

2:46PM EDT October 18. 2012 - In the midst of its accidental earnings release, and the invitation sent out late Wednesday night to journalists announcing an Android-related press event in New York City on Oct. 29, Google is unleashing a new lower-priced Chromebook computer.
Chromebooks are cloud-based laptops that to date haven't exactly taken the computing market by storm. That could explain the attractive new $249 price, a big drop from the previous $449 entry price for a Wi-Fi only model.

The latest machine is less than 0.8 inches thick, has an 11.6-inch display (1366x768 resolution) that is a bit smaller than before, 2GB of memory, and SSD storage of 16GB. It weighs just over 2.4 pounds, which is lighter than its predecessor, and it houses a Samsung Exynos 5250 processor. Google is claiming more than 6.5 hours of battery life. It has a single USB 3.0 port, a single USB 2.0 port, a combo headphone/mic jack, secure digital memory slot, and an HDMI Port.
For all the specs, Chromebooks are marketed as hassle and virus-free machines that start up in seconds. Google says there are thousands of free apps available for Chromebook. Already preloaded: Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Hangouts. Google can and does regularly update the software.
As before, most everything you do is through Google's own Chrome Web browser and the cloud-based Chrome operating system it is based on. But that also means you're somewhat limited when you are offline.



Google faces another hurdle, the timing of the release. Microsoft is garnering a lot of attention for its upcoming Windows 8 software and the Microsoft-branded Surface tablet that takes advantage of the new operating system. Apple is widely expected to bring out a smaller iPad next week. And then there's Google's own upcoming Android event in which it is rumored to perhaps be unveiling new tablets and smartphones.

Credit : USA Today

Laptops : HP refreshes the Pavilion dm4 with a subwoofer, unveils requisite Beats Edition

It's shaping up to be a wild day for HP: in addition to revamping its Envy laptops and announcing its first Ultrabook, the outfit went and refreshed the mid-range Pavilion dm4. While it has the same metal-heavy design that bowled us over in our review, it trades Altec Lansing audio for Beats and gains a subwoofer. Otherwise, its entry-level specs -- a Core i3 CPU, 6GB of RAM and a 640GB 5,400RPM hard drive -- closely match the starting config available today.

And, while the company was at it, HP also announced a red-and-black-spangled Beats Edition. An inevitable move, if you ask us: HP has been pushing its partnership with Dr. Dre so heavily that it went so far as to redesign its Envy laptops with a prominent Beats dial. Then again, this is the first time HP's given the Beats special edition treatment to anything other than a top-shelf machine. In any case, you better be pretty sweet on that red backlit keyboard -- the gussied-up, Dre-approved version starts at $900 (headphones not included). Then again, at least you get beefier specs for the money: a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. If nine hundred bucks isn't what you had in mind, the classic dm4 starts at $630. Both will be available December 18th.

Press Release

HP Expands Thin and Light Notebook PC Portfolio
Company launches two HP Pavilion dm4 notebooks, offering users powerful performance, enhanced audio
PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 16, 2011 – HP today expanded its ultraportable consumer notebook PC portfolio with thin and light products that provide the ideal balance of mobility and high performance.

- With powerful performance in a small package, the HP Pavilion dm4 includes the latest Intel® Core™ processors, Beats Audio™ and a 14-inch high-definition (HD) LED display for a rich multimedia experience.
- The HP Pavilion dm4 Beats™ Edition delivers the ultimate listening experience with Beats Audio and features the signature black-and-red Beats Audio design.

HP Pavilion dm4 – mobility, entertainment and performance
Designed to help users tackle daily tasks on the go with uncompromising performance, the HP Pavilion dm4 boasts a profile that is 1-inch thin in the front and features a 14-inch HD LED display for an ideal, mobile entertainment experience.

Weighing less than 4.5 pounds and offering up to seven hours of battery life, the HP Pavilion dm4 features the latest Intel Core processors with optional AMD Radeon™ HD 7470M discrete graphics.

Available in a brushed aluminum dark umber or steel gray metal finish with optional backlit keyboard, the HP Pavilion dm4 includes optional Intel Smart Response Technology, which provides faster boot times and application loads.

With the added subwoofer and Beats Audio, the Pavilion dm4 offers a full audio experience. The notebook also includes innovations such as HP TrueVision HD Webcam, HP CoolSense and HP SimplePass with fingerprint reader for storing passwords in one place.

HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition – ultimate listening experience
The sleek HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition reflects the signature Beats blackand-red design. The black metal exterior features a red Beats logo and a striking black keyboard that is backlit in red. The soft-touch surface on the palm rest provides a smooth, silk-like tactile experience.
The Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition also includes exclusive Beats wallpaper and a Beats microfiber sleeve. Solo HD Headphones with an HP exclusive red design – are available via an optional bundle.

Beats Audio technology was developed by HP in collaboration with legendary artist and producer Dr. Dre and chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records and Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine.

HP also introduced its first Ultrabook™, the HP Folio 13 , as well as new HP ENVY notebook PCs.

Pricing and availability

The new HP Pavilion dm4 and Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition are expected
to be available in the United States on Dec. 18.

- The HP Pavilion dm4 has a starting price of $629.99.
- The HP Pavilion dm4 Beats Edition has a starting price of $899.99.

Additional information is available at www.hp.com/personal and
http://shopping.hp.com/go/newfromhp.

Tech : Iced out 24-carat gold MacBook Pro proves diamonds are an Apple's best friend

Computer Choppers' latest luxury overhaul is about as Cribs-worthy a laptop as we've ever laid our hard-working eyes on. Just like this 24-carat stunner before it, the shiny setup gives something a little extra to that Apple logo, by way of Marilyn's favorite gems, but sets itself apart with the addition of a rather unexciting paisley pattern. If you're the type who flushes hundos, though, you can ditch the paisleys for your very own custom design. As is often the case with these things, the price isn't listed, but frankly, we'd hold out until they replace those black plastic chiclets with something fit for the Diamond Princess.

24-carat gold MacBook Pro

DJ Tech : Super Power Your Laptop with a SSD Double Swap!

My Dual Core, Dual 2.4 GHZ Macbook is a pretty powerful DJ laptop, but even that powerhouse has started taking a dump over the past 6 months. The problem is caused by 2 main culprits. First, more tracks every week means the 250 gig hard drive is always maxed out. Last, the system drive (that same drive) is dragging its sorry butt and taking forever to process data.
The good news is that a close friend offered a clever way to solve both of those problems with one simple upgrade that costs anywhere from $250-$600. We would replace my CD drive with a 250 Gig SSD hard drive (this would become my super fast system drive) and then swap out the old drive for a 750 gig standard drive (3 X the music space!) which would house all data. In today’s article, Dj TT called up a professional IT specialist to show everyone how to perform the same mod yourself and super power any laptop into the ultimate DJ data machine.

Bring Your Laptop Back to Life

By Brandon Espinoza
The common answer to increasing the speed of your old laptop is to add more RAM. It is a common misconception that adding more RAM will make your computer drastically faster. Although increasing your RAM may help, it still has to receive data from your hard drive.
What is RAM?
RAM (Random Access Memory), simply put, is just a swap between your CPU and hard drive. In other words, the hard drive is sending programs and files to the RAM each time you do something on your computer. Things such as, starting your computer, opening programs or rendering music all heavily impact the RAM. One way of improving your computer memory performance is by installing a SSD hard drive.
What is an SSD?
SSD (Solid State Disk) is a storage drive that uses flash memory instead of disc platters. In the past, flash memory would lose its data once it had lost its power source, very similar to the function of RAM. Today, chip producers use NAND-based flash memory that is non-volatile, meaning that it can retain data even without power.
How do SSD’s differ from HDD’s?
Physically speaking, SSD’s have moved to flash memory as mentioned above. In the past, hard drives functioned much like a record player. There are platters that spin, and a head that reads the data. Solid State Drives use electrical signals to access data, thus very fast compared to Rotary Hard Drives.
What are the Pro’s of SSD?

• Energy Efficient. Solid State Drives use less power than traditional Hard Disks. This is a great thing for laptop users as it can slightly increase your battery life.

• Durability. Solid State Drives are made to operate in extreme environments. They can withstand degrees up to 70 Celsius and are more impervious to shock and vibration because of their lack of moving parts. With no moving parts, you can rest assured that your music won’t cut out at the club when the bass is shaking your laptop apart!
• Speed. The latest Solid State Drives for laptops can push up to 550MB/s read speeds and 500MB/s write speeds. Regular 7200 RPM Rotary Hard Drives push about 60MB/s read and write. As you can see, Solid State Drives offer almost 10x the performance!

What are the Con’s of SSD?

• Life Expectancy. Solid States Drives haven’t been around for very long. With that said, it is hard to estimate how long these drives will last. Many Solid State Drive producers say that on average, SSD’s will last around 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 hours. Obviously if there is any accuracy to this claim, you won’t need to swap out your drive for a long time!

• Price. As of now, Solid State Drives cost about $2 per GB, where normal Rotary Hard Drives cost about 10 cents per GB. This is the main reason Solid State Drives haven’t made it into the consumer computing market.

INSTALLATION

WHERE TO GET THE GEAR

To do the full upgrade, you are going to need a few items:

• Laptop with CD drive
• 1 Optibay (for the SSD to live where your CD drive once did)
• 1 SSD Drive
• 1 Large Standard Drive (or SSD if you like to go really big!)

Here are our recommended components followed by a less expensive option for those on a budget.
Recommended Route  $620

• MCE OptiBay $99
• OCZ Vertex 2 SSD (240GB) $410
• 750GB WB Black 7200 RPM $110

Less Expensive Route $250

• Universal IBM OptiBay $20
• OCZ Vertex 2 SSD (60GB) $120
• Lite On CD/DVD Burner $37
• 750GB Toshiba 5400 RPM $70

Laptops : Asus Eee PC 1015B and 1215B go on sale starting at $289

It seems like just yesterday -- okay, more like three weeks ago -- we went hands-on with Asus' latest additions to the Eee PC family, and now these Fusion-equipped netbooks are getting their very own price tags. The Eee PC 1015B and 1215B offer 10-inch and 12-inch displays starting at $289 and $379, respectively. For that price, you'll get 250GB of storage, 1GB of memory, VGA, USB, and HDMI ports, and 1080p output. 

Laptops : Sony VAIO S arrives stateside, brings along an advanced extended battery

Oh, you were worried Sony wasn't going to release its new VAIO S ultraportable in the US? Okay, so it has taken the company a bit longer to prep the 13.3-inch laptop for its American debut, but it's here and it looks like it was well worth the wait. While Sony is holding that it will not replace the VAIO Z Series, which has just recently gone out of stock on Sony's website, there's no denying that it fills a similar high-end ultraportable spot. Don't be fooled by its inch-thick profile, it packs a serious amount of horsepower -- like the UK version, it will be configurable with Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, AMD Radeon HD 6630 graphics with 1GB of VRAM (sadly, there's still a physical toggle for switching), Blu-ray, and a range of SSDs. As you can tell from the image above, the design drops the circular hinge of previous VAIOs, but the 3.9-pound machine is still made of magnesium and aluminum, has a backlit keyboard, while also sporting the option of a unique slice battery that meshes with the overall aesthetic.

However, that $150 extended cell isn't just any old battery -- it's said to provide a total of 15 hours of battery life when latched onto the bottom of the system as it can actually charge the primary integrated battery. Additionally, it comes with its own AC adapter so it can be charged separately from the entire rig. Yep, this one is filled to the brim with the latest and greatest, and even better it doesn't seem terribly overpriced -- the $979 starting model packs a Core i5-2410 processor, those aforementioned AMD graphics, and a 320GB hard drive. It should be available for pre-order later today and we're hoping to bring you a full review of it soon, but until then we have a few hands-on shots of the laptop back at CES below.

Sony VAIO S Series press shots

Sony VAIO S mockups at CES

SONY PACKS PERFORMANCE IN THE NEW THIN AND LIGHT VAIO S SERIES LAPTOP

SAN DIEGO, March 7, 2011 – Sony Electronics today announced the VAIO® S Series laptop featuring the powerful performance of a larger full-sized PC packed into a thin one-inch profile design and 13.3-inch screen form factor. Incorporating all the mobility of VAIO laptops, this new line delivers ultimate portability and performance with the second generation Intel® Core™ i5 and Core i7 processor coupled with Hybrid Graphics as well as dual channel solid state drive options (select models).

Select S Series models sport a premium and elegant design in Black or White with magnesium and aluminum materials, and all of them incorporate a built-in lithium polymer battery that when coupled with the all new and advanced large-capacity optional sheet battery, you can stay mobile and unplugged for up to 15 hours. Intelligent charging enables you to charge the optional sheet battery separately and attach it to the system without shutting down for maximum flexibility.

"We continue to raise the bar when it comes to the mobile computing experience," said Mike Lucas, senior vice president of Networked and Technologies and Services Division at Sony Electronics. "The VAIO S Series laptop makes no compromises by offering the ultimate, full-featured ultra-mobile PC."

Ultra Mobility and Performance
Performance is top priority with the second generation Intel Core i7 and Core i5 processors that deliver even more performance automatically when you need it with a better visual PC experience built-in. With Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, the processors increase speed automatically delivering the performance needed for multitasking.
AMD Radeon™ HD 6630 1GB Hybrid Graphics card (select models) gives a performance boost to your day-to-day processor functions for a faster, more optimized overall computing experience while lowering power consumption.

For maximum performance and mobility, select models features dual channel solid state drive with RAID 0 technology.
The S Series laptop comes with one-touch VAIO, ASSIST and WEB buttons, for launching Media Gallery™ software, VAIO Care™ software and access to the web without full boot-up into Windows, all with a touch of a button.

All models incorporate backlit keyboards, illuminating the lettering for typing in low light situations. The built-in web camera powered by an "Exmor" sensor also allows for great low-light performance. And with the built-in microphone you can video message with family, friends and coworkers. Face tracking technology allows the camera to automatically adjust focus and follow you as you move around while video chatting.

Packed with Multimedia
Sony knows entertainment is always at the forefront and the VAIO S Series delivers. Whether you're watching a stunning Blu-ray Disc™ movie (select models) or enjoying video captured from your compatible camcorder. The versatile Blu-ray Disc drive on the VAIO S Series laptop (select models) combines the power of HD video playback with the convenience and utility of DVD and CD read/write functionalities. Providing the best picture and the best sound with stunning clarity, Blu-ray Disc technology is the ultimate way to enjoy your entertainment.
With Intel® Wireless Display 2.0, you can sit back and experience your favorite videos, photos and music on your TV. Stop crowding around a laptop screen and view and share content from your hard drive, home network or the internet wirelessly on your HDTV utilizing the adapter (sold separately).

Pricing and Availability
The VAIO S Series laptops are available for pre-sale today at www.sonystyle.com/sseries starting for around $970, and the optional sheet battery for around $150.

Tech : Dell ultra-slim laptop gets Cougar Point tease, Sandy Bridge Inspirons next week

While the Adamo brand might be dead, Dell's quest for the ultimate ultra-slim laptop is anything but buried. The boys from Tejas just let us in on their plans to unveil a new "ultra-slim" consumer laptop in April guaranteed to "excite and delight" with its "beauty and brawn." Naturally, the new slimster will be riding the reintroduced Cougar Point chipset and Sandy Bridge processors from Intel, as will some new Dell Inspiron systems on deck for an announcement next week. Of course, Dell will also be shipping Cougar Point options for business customers soon, including Sandy Bridge Latitude laptops, Optiplex desktops, and laptops and desktops from its Precision lineup. But hey, we know most of you are only interested in the ultra-slim and its "innovative new form factor." Read the calculated tease from Dell after the break.

 

ROUND ROCK, March 7, 2011 – Dell today announced that it will introduce additional new Sandy Bridge-equipped systems next week, building on its already large portfolio of products featuring the Intel 6 Series chipsets (Cougar Point).

The new products, which will roll out in the next six weeks, will be found in the company's leading Inspiron product line and a new ultra-slim notebook that will combine beauty and brawn in a form factor that will excite and delight.

Dell already is shipping the broadest array of Sandy Bridge-equipped systems of any PC manufacturer. Dell, in fact, was the first to reintroduce the revolutionary Intel 6 Series chipset (Cougar Point) to the market on Feb. 21 with the launch of new high-performance XPS 15 and 17 laptops as well as an XPS desktop. In just the last two weeks, Dell rapidly expanded the number of Intel 6 Series-equipped systems to include Alienware desktops and laptops and a small-business Vostro desktop.

"Everyone from hard-core gamers to professional users and small-business owners can now choose Intel 6-equipped systems from Dell, delivering the ultimate performance they need to do more," said Sam Burd, vice president of Dell's consumer and small/medium business product group. "We are committed to the technology, and will be incorporating the architecture into additional products in the coming months, including our award-winning and popular Inspiron series and an innovative new form factor that will debut this spring."

In addition to the Inspiron systems and ultra-slim notebook, Dell soon will begin shipping Sandy Bridge (Cougar Point) options for business customers, including several Latitude laptops, OptiPlex desktops and Precision workstation desktop and laptop options.

"We are committed to expanding upon the broad array of Intel 6-equipped products we are currently offering," Burd said. "In addition to being the first company to reintroduce the Sandy Bridge technology, we offered the broadest array of options for our customers who were initially affected during the original stop-ship."

Following the Intel announcement, Burd noted that Dell immediately put pending shipments on hold; offered affected customers an array of options, which included the ability to return affected units, keep affected units until a replacement was made, or keep their current order open until the reworked systems were available. This rapid communication to customers, Burd noted, is ingrained in Dell's heritage of listening to its customers and engaging with them directly through various social media platforms liked Direct2Dell, Facebook and Twitter, and also through retail partners worldwide. Dell's products, in fact, are found in more than 65,000 retail outlets worldwide.

Further details about the new Inspiron systems will be announced next week; the new ultra-slim consumer notebook will be revealed in April.