NetbookTech

LG Electronics announces the launch of their latest netbook, the LG X140, featuring Windows 7 Starter Edition, a 1.83 GHz Intel Atom Processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 320GB SATA HDD.

The netbook features LG’s Smart POP functionality which allows users to:

• Easily transfer files and folders between the PC and mobile phones
• Dial and message functionality which allows users to make calls or send SMS messages direct from a netbook
• Contacts and Outlook Sync functionality which allows users to automatically synchronize all contact info on mobile phones and Outlook

The X140 also features Smart On 2.0 which provides quick access to email and a menu of frequently used functions within 5 seconds of booting the netbook.

Other features and specs include:

• Color choices of white, hot pink, and black
• 9 hour battery life
• Weighs between 1.3 to 1.45kg
• 10.1 inch 1366 x 768 resolution HD LCD display
• Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam
• SRS TruSurround HD sound
• Embedded 3G modem chipset

The LG X140 is now available in the UAE and in other GCC markets priced at AED 1799.

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We’ve been wondering for some time when ASUS would finally update their popular UL series of thin-and-light notebooks with the latest Intel Core 2010 processors. Well it looks like the updates are FINALLY rolling out (albeit slowly) starting first with the 12 inch UL series.

According to Electronista, two new models are coming out replacing the UL20A system – a model featuring the 1.2 GHz Core i3 processor (known as the UL20FT), and a model featuring a 1.06GHz Celeron U3400 processor (which is currently available in Japan).

Both models offer 720p capable displays, integrated Intel HD graphics, and 2GB of RAM. Other notable features include a 320GB hard drive, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit, a six cell battery, HDMI output, and a 0.3 megapixel webcam.

The Core i3 version will be priced around $629 and is expected to be out by August 6th.

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Missed this one last week. Verizon Wireless announced a new netbook mobile broadband bundle in the form of the Samsung N150. The 10.1 inch netbook is available for a mere $49.99 after a $100 dollar mail-in rebate and a new two year agreement for a Verizon Wireless mobile broadband plan.

The N150 has the following specs:

• Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz processor
• Windows 7 Starter
• Built-in 3G connectivity
• Global-ready with a pre-installed SIM card for access in more than 200 countries
• Built-in chargeable USB port
• 93 percent full-size keyboard
• 1GB of RAM
• 10.1 inch LCD WSVGA LED backlit display
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• Built-in webcam
• Built-in speakers
• 160GB 5400RPM HDD
• VGA port
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Ethernet connectivity
• 6 cell battery for up to 7 hours of power

You’ll need to choose from one of the following Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband plans:

• $39.99 monthly access for 250 MB monthly allowance and $0.10/MB overage
• $59.99 monthly access for 5 GB monthly allowance and $0.05/MB overage
• Prepaid Mobile Broadband plans are also available:
  • $15 for 75 MB (one day of use)
  • $30 for 250 MB (one week of use)
  • $50 for 500 MB (one month of use)

To make use of the Global GSM support, you’ll need to opt for one of the following GlobalAccess plans:

• GlobalAccess Monthly Plan – starts at $129.99 for monthly access (5 GB allowance for the United States and Canada, $0.05/MB overage) with 100 MB allowance in select destinations ($0.005/KB after allowance). Customers who require higher usage when traveling abroad can opt for the $219.99 monthly access plan which offers 200 MB allowance with the same rates for overage as the $129.99 plan.
• GlobalAccess Pay Per Use for occasional use must be purchased with a $59.99 Mobile Broadband service plan in the United States. The Pay Per Use rate is $0.002/KB in Canada, $0.005/KB in Mexico, and $0.02/KB in more than 200 other destinations.

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LaptopMag has published a review of the Acer Aspire One D260 netbook here on their website. Specs for the D260 include:

• Intel Atom N450 and N475 processor
• Intel NM10 Express chipset
• 1GB of RAM
• Up to 250GB 5400RPM HDD
• Multi-in-one card reader with support for MMC, reduced-sized MMC, SD, MS, MS PRO, and xD-Picture Card
• 10.1 inch 1024 x 600 resolution high-brightness (200 nit) LED backlit TFT display
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics
• Acer Crystal Eye webcam with 1280 x 1024 resolution
• VGA port
• Built-in stereo speakers
• Built-in digital microphone
• Headphones/speakers/line-out and microphone ports
• Three USB 2.0 ports
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Ethernet connectivity
• 93 percent keyboard
• Multi-gesture enabled touchpad
• Measures 10.2 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches and weighs 2.8 lbs with the 6 cell battery
• 8 hours of power with six cell battery or 4 hours of power with three cell battery

Here’s what LaptopMag thought of the 10 inch netbook:

“Acer prioritized looks and portability above longevity in the D260, but this netbook manages to be charming even with its below-average battery life. Its $299 price is equally attractive, but for the same amount you could scoop up the ASUS Eee PC 1001P, which, though it has a smaller 160GB hard drive, fared better in several performance tests, including battery life. Still, if you think 5 hours or runtime is enough, the Aspire One D260 has plenty going for it, not the least of which being its charisma.”

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MSI and Los Angeles Dodger fans will love this one. The two organizations have partnered to bring about special Dodger limited edition versions of the MSI Wind Top AE2220 All-in-One PC and the MSI Wind U135DX netbook. And..

To mark this occasion, the Dodgers will be having an “MSI Night” at Dodger stadium tomorrow night (July 9th) where MSI co-founder, Henry Lu, will be unveiling the new products as well as throwing out the first pitch of the game.

MSI will also be giving away three All-in-One PCs and three netbooks that night at the stadium and launching a new contest for Dodger fans. Running from July 9th till August 9th, the contest encourages Dodger fans to submit photos “showcasing their Dodger spirit”.  Prizes include MSI Baseball Limited Edition AIO PCs, MSI Baseball Limited Edition netbooks, Baseball Limited Edition Signed Balls, and Baseball Limited Edition T-Shirts courtesy of MSI.

Here are the specs to the two systems:

MSI Wind Top AE2220 All-in-One PC:

• Windows 7 Home Premium
• Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 (2.2GHz)
• NVIDIA ION Graphics Processors
• 21.5” (54.61cm ) 16:9, 1920 x 1080, Full-HD Multi-Touch Screen
• NVIDIA GeForce 9300 Integrated Graphics with 256MB VRAM
• 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM
• 802.11 b/g/n WiFi
• 640GB SATA2 HDD
• Double-layer DVD Super Multi drive
• Two 5W 5.1-channel surround speakers with SRS Premium Sound

MSI Wind U135DX netbook:

• Windows 7 Starter Edition
• Intel Atom N455 (1.66GHz)
• Intel NM10
• 10” WSVGA 1024×600 display
• Intel GMA3150
• 1GB DDR2 667MHz RAM
• 250GB SATA HDD
• 802.11 b/g/n WLAN
• USB 2.0 x 3, VGA (15-pin, D-Sub) x 1
• 1.3 MP webcam
• Measures 10.24" x7.09 " x0.78"
• Weighs 2.6lbs (6-cell battery)

As for MSI Night at Dodger stadium, opening pitch will take place at 7pm tomorrow night with giveaways taking place throughout the game.

Those of you interested in the “Triple Play Give Away” Photo Contest can head over to http://us.msi.com/MSIAIO/Tripleplaygiveaway/index.aspx

Read more about the partnership by heading over to http://us.msi.com/dodgers/

via PRweb

Gateway expanded their netbook product portfolio with yesterday’s announcement of the new LT32 series of netbooks. Straddling that hazy line between netbooks and thin-and-light notebooks, the LT32 aims to deliver high-definition multimedia playback support via a combination of AMD Neo processors, ATI graphics, and an HD-resolution 11.6 inch display.

Features and specs to the LT32 include:

• 11.6 inch LED backlit display with 1366 x 768 resolution
• AMD Athlon II Neo K125 processor
• 2GB DDR3 memory
• 250GB HDD
• ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics with 384MB of dedicated system memory
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Built-in HD webcam
• Built-in digital microphone
• Three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet port, VGA port, Microphone, Headphone/Speaker/Line-Out Jack with S/PDIF Support
• Multi-in-one digital card reader
• Built-in speakers
• Matte chassis cover
• Measures 10.43 x 14.9 x 3.15 inches
• Weight of only 2.76 pounds
• 5.5 hours of power on a six cell battery

The starting price for the Gateway LT32 is $449.99.

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Jarred Walton over at Anandtech recently published a “first look” into the updated Alienware M11x 11.6 notebook (The R2 edition). First off, some specs for all of you to digest:

• Support for up to Intel Core i7 640UM processor
• Intel QA57 Express Chipset for Core i5/i7 or Intel GS45 Chipset for Core 2 Duo
• Windows 7 64 bit OS
• Up to 8GB DDR3 memory
• External USB slot-loading DVD burner
• Up to 500GB 7200RPM HDD or 256GB SSD
• 11.6 inch WideHD 1366 x 768 LCD display
• 1GB GDDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M graphics
• Intel GMA 5 series integrated graphics
• NVIDIA Optimus Technology (only on the Core i5/i7 processor versions) allowing users to intelligently switch between integrated graphics and discrete graphics
• Intel HD 5.1 surround sound audio
• Bluetooth 2.1, Internal WWAN mobile broadband, 802.11 a/b/g/n 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi
• 8 cell 64 WHr primary battery
• Firewire port, 3 USB 2.0 ports, 3 in 1 media card reader, 2 audio-out ports, audio-in/microphone port, and Ethernet port
• 2 Built-in front speakers

Yes, this isn’t your normal thin-and-light notebook. The M11x comes in a body better suited for 13.3 inch notebooks and has enough power for decent mobile gamage. They’ve yet to finish the review but here are some interesting tidbits from the first look:

• PCMark Vantage shows an improvement of 36% over previous model
• 3DMark results show an improvement of between 5 to 15%
• Battery life looks promising – with times upwards of 7 hours for lighter loads – thanks in no small part to NVIDIA Optimus Tech.

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Get ready for webOS-powered connected mobile devices people.

HP announced yesterday it has completed the acquisition of Palm Inc. for $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash. According to the press release, the acquisition of the company will provide HP “significant headway into one of technology’s fastest-growth segments with Palm’s innovative webOS platform and family of smartphones, plus a rich portfolio of intellectual property from the smartphone pioneer.

Todd Bradley, executive VP of the Personal Systems Group at HP had this to say:

"With webOS, HP will deliver its customers a unique and compelling experience across smartphones and other mobility products”

The new Palm business unit will be headed up by Jon Rubinstein, former Palm chairman and CEO, and will report to Todd Bradley. Palm will remain responsible for webOS s/w development and HP will integrate webOS into future mobile devices such as smartphones, slate PCs, and of course, netbooks.

Should be exciting to see what HP has in store.

== Press Release ==

HP Completes Palm Acquisition

Accelerates HP’s growth in $100 billion smartphone and connected mobile device markets

PALO ALTO, Calif., July 1, 2010

HP today announced it has completed its acquisition of Palm Inc. at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash.

The combination gives HP significant headway into one of technology’s fastest-growth segments with Palm’s innovative webOS platform and family of smartphones, plus a rich portfolio of intellectual property from the smartphone pioneer.

HP’s global scale and financial strength plus Palm’s award-winning webOS experience, as well as its acclaimed Pre and Pixi smartphone product lines, enhance HP’s ability to participate more aggressively in the highly profitable, $100 billion smartphone and connected mobile device markets.

“With webOS, HP will deliver its customers a unique and compelling experience across smartphones and other mobility products,” said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. “This allows us the opportunity to fully engage in growing our smartphone family offering and the footprint of webOS.”

Under Jon Rubinstein, former Palm chairman and chief executive officer, the Palm global business unit will report to Bradley. Palm will be responsible for webOS software development and webOS based hardware products, from a robust smartphone roadmap to future slate PCs and netbooks.

“With HP’s full backing and global strengths, I’m confident that webOS will be able to reach its full potential,” said Rubinstein. ”This agreement will accelerate the development of this incredible platform with new resources, scale and support from a world-respected brand.”

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.

MSI is out with a slightly updated Wind U135 netbook, now known as the U135DX. The new 10 inch portable features a slightly faster processor in the form of the Intel Atom N455 processor, support for up to 2GB of DDR3 RAM, an LED backlit display, and a battery life of up to 7 hours. There’s a color print film on the chassis that protects the netbook from everyday wear and tear as well as improvements such as a chiclet keyboard and a wider touchpad. Expect the U135DX in August for £229.

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Just wanted to mention that the new Sony VAIO W Series Billabong mini netbook is now in stock and available for sale over at SonyStyle.com for $499.99.  The Billabong mini netbook takes the standard VAIO W netbook and adds splashes of “beachside colors” to it ranging from ocean blue to tropical green hues.

Features and specs to the system are as follows:

• Intel Atom Processor clocked at 1.83GHz
• Windows 7 Starter Edition
• 10.1 inch LED backlit LCD display with a resolution of 1366 x 768
• 1GB of RAM
• 250GB HDD
• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and Ethernet connectivity
• Built-in MOTION EYE camera and microphone with face-tracking technology
• Media card reader
• Intel GMA 3150 graphics

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