| Facebook to experiment with access for under-13s Jun 4th 2012, 08:44  Facebook is exploring options to connect kids to its social network, while ensuring it obeys federal laws. According to the Wall Street Journal, the social network is pushing for a more formalized structure for under-13s in an effort to curb users registering under a false age. Consumer Reports currently pegs the number of under-age users at around 7.5 million. Despite other privacy concerns, Facebook is reportedly looking to add buffers and parental controls to any kid-friendly version that might result from its current experiments. It could also tie parents' accounts to their little tykes' pages, allowing game purchases to be made through their bank details. Well, that new HQ isn't going to pay for itself. Facebook to experiment with access for under-13s originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  WSJ | Email this | Comments | | ASUS announces line of Transformer Books, laptops with detchable touchscreens Jun 4th 2012, 08:39  In addition to various Windows 8 tablets and hybrid devices, ASUS announced the Transformer Book, a line of notebooks with detachable touch screens that can function as standalone slates. Wondering which side of the laptop / tablet hybrid fence these fall onto? Look no further than the large screen sizes: 11.6, 13 and 14 inches. What's more, they patch laptop-grade chips to match, including a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor, backed up by discrete graphics. Storage options include SSDs and traditional hard drives, and we're told these lappies can accommodate up to 4GB of RAM. At the same time, you'll find some features designed to give users tablet functionality when they decide to un-dock from the keyboard. This includes not just your standard webcam on the front, but a 5-megapixel shooter 'round back. Sadly, no word just yet on pricing or availability, though with a final version of Windows 8 a good four months off, we're not surprised that ASUS is keeping those details to itself. Developing... Continue reading ASUS announces line of Transformer Books, laptops with detchable touchscreens ASUS announces line of Transformer Books, laptops with detchable touchscreens originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays Jun 4th 2012, 08:01  Two displays in one tablet? Yes you can. ASUS' new TAICHI series packs displays on both the front and the rear, letting you use the device in a variety of configurations. In 'notebook' mode, you can use TAICHI with a backlit QWERTY keyboard and trackpad. Once you close the lid, however, it's stylus time. TAICHI includes Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7 processors, 4 gigs of RAM, SSD storage, dual-band 802.11n WiFi, FHD/Super IPS+ displays and, naturally, dual cameras. Despite the display duo, both the 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch configurations are reportedly as thin and light as the Zenbook line. Both variants will offer 1900 x 1280 pixels on each side, and displays can be used independently, so you can even share the device with a friend -- with completely different content on either LCDs. We spent a few minutes with the 11.6-inch version at ASUS' launch event at Computex today, and while the device we saw was clearly an early prototype, it functioned as described and looked quite polished, so this certainly isn't merely a concept at this point. The touch panels were very responsive, and quite bright, even at their lowest setting. The rear LCD had visible backlight bleed around the top and bottom, which we of course don't expect to see on production samples. Despite the thin design, there's no shortage of connectivity options -- the left side of the device (in tablet mode, at least) packs a power button, lock toggle, mini VGA, USB 3.0 and power ports, while the opposite panel includes a headphone jack, a second USB 3.0 port, micro DVI, a volume up/down switch and a rotation lock button. There's no pricing and availability just yet, but you can see it in action right now -- our hands-on video is waiting just after the break. Continue reading ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays ASUS reveals TAICHI convertible notebook / tablet with dual 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch displays originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 04:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | ASUS outs Tablet 600, a Transformer-like Slate running Windows RT Jun 4th 2012, 07:54  How many times have we posted a review of an ASUS Transformer tablet only to read comments that say, "Put Win8 on it and I'll buy it." Well, folks, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. ASUS just announced the Tablet 600, a Transformer-like slate running Windows RT. Like any Android-powered Transformer, this one packs a quad-core Tegra 3 chip, except it has twice the RAM (2GB). At the center of it all is a 10.1-inch (1366 x 768) IPS+ display with viewing angles similar to what you'll find on current Transformer tablets. Around back, it has an auto-focusing 8-megapixel camera with an LED flash, complemented by a 2-megapixel shooter up front. Other specs include WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and your usual array of sensors, including GPS, a gyroscope, e-compass and, last but not least, NFC. And guess what? We've already got hands-on. Bear with us as we upload photos and video -- connectivity is slow here! Developing... Continue reading ASUS outs Tablet 600, a Transformer-like Slate running Windows RT ASUS outs Tablet 600, a Transformer-like Slate running Windows RT originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 03:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | AMD announces 900MHz version of the Radeon HD 7750, calls it 'the other 7750' Jun 4th 2012, 07:50  The original Radeon HD 7750 won plaudits for its low-wattage performance and $109 price tag, but now AMD's decided to put out an additional version with 100MHz more clock whizz. The new card also happens to be called the Radeon HD 7750, and it'll sit alongside its doppelganger on the shelves of the world's computer stores just daring you spot the difference. How will you do that? By checking if it requires a separate power supply: the original 7750 was powered entirely through the PCIe slot, limiting its power to 75W and hence its clock speed to 800MHz, while the new one accepts additional power to deliver slightly more grunt and stay ahead of looming competition from NVIDIA. XFX has already jumped aboard with the 7750 Black Edition Double Dissipation priced at $115 after a rebate, and AnandTech says other vendors will follow suit. So, unless you're totally out of power jacks, you know what to look for. Image courtesy of Newegg. AMD announces 900MHz version of the Radeon HD 7750, calls it 'the other 7750' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 03:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | AnandTech | Email this | Comments | | Intel claims chassis design breakthrough could mean cheaper Ultrabooks, eventually Jun 4th 2012, 07:20  If your heart says Ultrabook, but your bank says ultra broke, this may be welcome news. Intel claims to have had a breakthrough in chassis design that might point prices of the slim line laptops in a southerly direction. Using existing plastics, and some internal rearrangement aka "structural reduction analysis," the chip maker says it's found a way to make housings that are of equal strength and quality as existing ones. As the materials are widely available already, there isn't the extra cost associated with new materials, or expensive machined aluminum. Reuters reports that this could equate to savings between $25 and $75 per PC. The processor giant will share the new design with current partners so that it can find its way onto real-world devices, some time next year. Plenty of time to fill up the piggy bank while you wait then. Intel claims chassis design breakthrough could mean cheaper Ultrabooks, eventually originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 03:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Intel, Reuters | Email this | Comments | |
