| Lenovo outs 15-inch IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, optical drive: $679 and up Aug 31st 2012, 07:01  Lenovo's IFA itinerary is marathon-length. It unveiled no fewer than three tablets yesterday, not to mention three new IdeaPad S Series notebooks, and today it's serving up more laptops. Let's hit the high-profile guy first: Lenovo's IdeaPad Series lineup of Ultrabooks is getting its first 15-inch model, the Windows 8-running U510. The machine weighs 4.85 pounds (2.2kg) and measures 0.83 inches (21mm) thin, which is hefty for an Ultrabook but gives it enough room for a DVD burner or an optional Blu-ray drive. The 15.6-inch display's resolution is a ho-hum 1,366 x 768, which is exactly what you'll find on the IdeaPad U310. The laptop will be available with up to a Core i7 Ivy Bridge CPU, up to 8GB of RAM and a 500GB, 750GB or 1TB hard drive and optional 24/32GB SSD cache. Connections include USB 2.0, USB 3.0, VGA and HDMI, and there's an SD card reader as well. Lenovo rates the machine for six hours of battery life. The U510 will set you back $679 (for the entry-level configuration) when it goes on sale in September. For now, you can check out the press photos below. Continue reading Lenovo outs 15-inch IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, optical drive: $679 and up Filed under: Laptops Lenovo outs 15-inch IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, optical drive: $679 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Lenovo expands IdeaPad lineup with Windows 8-compatible Y and Z series: prices start at $549 Aug 31st 2012, 07:00  Lenovo just unveiled its new IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook, yes, but it has a few new IdeaPad models further along in the alphabet, too. Today the company is introducing two new entries to its multimedia-focused IdeaPad Y Series. The 14-inch Y400 and 15-inch Y500 include an interchangeable HDD bay that users can swap out for dual graphics chips, extra storage space or an additional fan. Both models also sport dual-layer backlit keyboards, with a snazzy red tone peeking out from under the black chiclet-style keys. Processor options go up to a Core i7 Ivy Bridge chip, and discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT650M graphics are a configuration option. Like virtually every other product announced at IFA, these notebooks will run Windows 8, and though the 1,366 x 768 displays aren't touch-enabled, Lenovo says its touchpad is optimized for the Metro UI. Storage space maxes out at a 1TB hard drive and up to 16GB of SSD cached, and the machines offer up to 16GB of RAM. Pricing for the Y400 and Y500 starts at $649, and the laptops will go on sale in October. Meet us past the break for a look at the Z Series models. Continue reading Lenovo expands IdeaPad lineup with Windows 8-compatible Y and Z series: prices start at $549 Filed under: Laptops Lenovo expands IdeaPad lineup with Windows 8-compatible Y and Z series: prices start at $549 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Lenovo announces IdeaCentre A520, B340 and B345 all-in-ones running Windows 8 Aug 31st 2012, 07:00  If yesterday was the day Lenovo unveiled its new Android products, today's the day it turns its attention to Windows 8: in addition to announcing a slew of laptops, the company introduced three IdeaCentre all-in-ones, all slated to go on sale in October when Windows 8 launches. Of these, the flagship is clearly the A520, with its tilting 23-inch screen that can lie nearly flat. Included in that press release, though, you'll also find details about the B340 / B345, a smaller, more affordable desktop with a less flashy design. Starting with the A520, it's the little brother to the A720, which we first saw back at CES. Like the A720, it has a screen that can be tilted between 5 and 90 degrees, except this particular model has a smaller 23-inch display (compared with 27 inches for the A720). That 1080p display is of IPS caliber and supports 10-point multitouch. Under the hood, it can be configured with a Core i7 CPU, up to 8GB of RAM, up to 1TB of HDD storage and an optional Blu-ray player. If you need graphics horsepower, though, you might want to skip ahead to read about those B series models, since the A520 will only be offered with integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. Indeed, graphics might be a good place to start when we talk about the B340 and B345, since the GPU is the one thing that really separates them. Though both will be offered with a 1GB AMD Radeon HD7470A card, only the B340 will be available with a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce 615. Otherwise, you'll find the same key specs on both models: a 21.5-inch (1080p) touchscreen display, with a choice of a Core i7 processor or AMD quad-core APU on the inside. The two are also VESA mount-compatible, and can be configured with optional TV tuners. The A520 will sell for $999 and up, while the B series will start at $599. Again, both will arrive in October, at which point we should be neck-deep in Windows 8 PCs to review. Continue reading Lenovo announces IdeaCentre A520, B340 and B345 all-in-ones running Windows 8 Filed under: Desktops Lenovo announces IdeaCentre A520, B340 and B345 all-in-ones running Windows 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Flash for Android briefly returns to Google Play Store in UK, zombie-style Aug 31st 2012, 06:18  Adobe was last seen burying mobile Flash and moving on with its life. Like the stars of George Romero movies, however, Flash is back to walk amongst the living -- if just temporarily. The developer tells the BBC that Flash for Android is back in the UK's Google Play Store for a short while after "strategic partners" pushed it into action, including the British broadcaster. While the link isn't explicitly confirmed, it's strongly implied that the BBC and others want a little more time to wean Android apps like iPlayer off of their Flash dependency and toward web technologies like HTML5. Adobe is quashing any hopes of a permanent revival with a disclaimer that there's no support for the download; any bugs will remain there forever. Those attached to their dearly departed plugin may still appreciate one last look before the code is once more put six feet under.
[Thanks, Kevin] Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software Flash for Android briefly returns to Google Play Store in UK, zombie-style originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 02:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  BBC | Email this | Comments | | TomTom announces HD Traffic upgrade, BMW Partnership Aug 31st 2012, 05:33  TomTom is announcing HD Traffic 6.0, an upgrade to its live traffic service that's reportedly 90 percent better at identifying roadworks and 65 percent better at spotting closed roads. At the same time, the company's teaming up with BMW to offer GoLive device integration with selected 1, 3, X1 and X3-series vehicles. Pop down to your local dealer, and a specially designed mount will integrate the gear with your car's entertainment and audio systems, muting directions when you're on a call and so-forth. Both are available from today, with HD Traffic expanding to a further 23 countries before the end of the year. Continue reading TomTom announces HD Traffic upgrade, BMW Partnership Filed under: GPS, Transportation TomTom announces HD Traffic upgrade, BMW Partnership originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
