| Vizio's 24- and 27-inch Ivy Bridge all-in-ones get official Jun 14th 2012, 21:45  Vizio recently announced that its first PCs -- the ones we glimpsed at CES back in January -- will ship in June. From our previous hands-on time, we already knew that the company's 24- and 27-inch all-in-ones sport 1080p screens and include HDMI passthrough for using them as HDTVs even with the PC portion turned off. And the company clearly drew on its TV know-how to turn out desktops with nice and thin profiles: the power supply is integrated into the subwoofer, and the pivoting neck is a single piece of aluminum connected to an invisible hinge. At the company's press event in NYC today, the all-in-ones got extra official -- as in, we have complete specs. Both the 24- and 27-inch models feature Intel Ivy Bridge processors, NVIDIA Kepler GeForce GPUs, 1920 x 1080 displays and 2.1 surround sound. Storage options top out at a 1TB hard drive paired with a 32GB SSD. The PC includes HDMI input and ships with a remote control (hence Vizio's TV background). The 24-inch model will start at $898, while the 27-incher goes for $1,098 and up. As with Vizio's just-announced laptops, the desktops include a "V key" on the keyboard, with shortcuts to media services such as Hulu Plus, Vudu and Netflix. Interestingly, none of these services will come pre-installed, though the company said there will be special deals for Vizio PC owners. Developing... Continue reading Vizio's 24- and 27-inch Ivy Bridge all-in-ones get official Vizio's 24- and 27-inch Ivy Bridge all-in-ones get official originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Vizio details its first laptops: two thin-and-lights and a mainstream 15-incher, available now for $898 and up Jun 14th 2012, 21:42  Back at CES, Vizio taught us a valuable lesson: you don't have to be a seasoned PC maker to build a beautiful laptop. The outfit, best known for its value-priced TVs, didn't dip its toes into the personal computer market so much as plunge in, head first: it teased three notebooks (along with two all-in-ones), each bearing a clean, surprisingly tasteful design. Now, right on schedule, they're finally going on sale. The company just announced that its first laptops, the 14-inch Thin-and-Light, the 15-inch Thin-and-Light and the 15-inch Notebook, are available now, each starting at $898. Funnily enough, as much as we've written about these laptops, we didn't know their names (much less specs) until now. So listen up: it's time for a quick (and long-overdue) run-down. First up, there are two "thin-and-lights" (Vizio isn't using the word Ultrabook). These come in two sizes: a 14-inch version with a 1600 x 900 display and a 15-incher with a 1080p panel. Aside from the resolution, the two models offer similar specs: Ivy Bridge processors, Intel HD 4000 graphics, SRS Premium Sound HD audio and battery life rated at seven hours. There's also a mainstream laptop, appropriately dubbed the 15.6-inch Notebook, which offers similar innards, except it has an unspecified Kepler GPU from NVIDIA. It, too, is rated for seven hours of runtime. Across its PC lineup, Vizio will be including a so-called V key on its keyboard, which will serve as a shortcut to services like Hulu Plus, Amazon, Vudu and Netflix. (If you were wondering how Vizio would incorporate its TV know-how, this is it.) The peculiar thing is, none of these services will come installed by default as bloatware. The point is, the key is there to use as a shortcut if you chose to enable these services, and Vizio says these multimedia partners plan on offering deals specific to Vizio PC owners. Developing... Continue reading Vizio details its first laptops: two thin-and-lights and a mainstream 15-incher, available now for $898 and up Vizio details its first laptops: two thin-and-lights and a mainstream 15-incher, available now for $898 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Nokia ships Lumia 900 and Reaction Bluetooth Headset in China Jun 14th 2012, 20:47  Based on the amount of effort poured into iOS 6 in order to tailor it for users in China, one thing's obvious: it's a nation grasping for smartphones. Apple's seeing huge, huge upticks in spending from Chinese customers, and Nokia's sure hoping it sees similar. In the midst of untold turmoil, Nokia is sprinkling in a bit of positive news this morning -- news that the Lumia 900 is now shipping in China. The 900 marks the fifth Lumia smartphone to ship in the nation of 900 million mobile phone users, with white, black and cyan versions to choose from. Outside of the basic specifications, the Chinese 900 will also come preloaded with nation-specific apps such as Sina Weibo, QQ IM, Baidu Search and Alipay. Oh, and if a phone wasn't enough, the Nokia Reaction Bluetooth Headset is also launching there today, enabling you to finally make use of that NFC module. The Lumia 900 hardware will sell for RMB 4599 ($721) in Nokia's flagship store, Nokia brand stores and the nation's "top electronics chain stores." Nokia ships Lumia 900 and Reaction Bluetooth Headset in China originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | T-Mobile to conduct LTE-Advanced trials this summer in preparation for 2013 deployment Jun 14th 2012, 20:25  Eager to get its LTE ducks in a row, T-Mobile announced today that it plans to begin trials of the next-gen network this summer. But here's the kicker: despite being tardy to the high-speed party, it plans on deploying true 4G in 2013, throttling ahead to the latest and greatest version known as 3GPP Release 10 -- also known as LTE-Advanced. Hitting this mark is crucial for T-Mobile, primarily because Sprint and AT&T have already announced their intentions to jump to the same speeds next year. T-Mobile also discussed its mysterious deployment of 1900MHz 3G service in San Francisco this week. According to Dave Mayo, SVP of technology, this is part of the carrier's 4G network evolution plan: to improve voice and data coverage and make its 4G network (we presume he's talking HSPA+ here) compatible with "a broader range of devices (including the iPhone)." He says what occurred at Moscone West this week is just the beginning -- in his words, "more of these speed sightings will occur as we work toward introducing 4G HSPA+ service in our 1900MHz spectrum in a large number of markets later this year." Overall, we'd say some great things are starting to happen in magentaland as it gets ready to hit the turbo boost button and shed the "faux-G" tag next year. Continue reading T-Mobile to conduct LTE-Advanced trials this summer in preparation for 2013 deployment T-Mobile to conduct LTE-Advanced trials this summer in preparation for 2013 deployment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  T-Mobile | Email this | Comments | | Judge puts Apple vs. Motorola hearing back on deck, asks the two to put up or shut up Jun 14th 2012, 20:19  Well, we did ask you to "tune in next week." Just seven days after he tentatively dismissed one of Apple's patent lawsuits against Motorola, Judge Richard Posner has given both sides a chance to prove their cases are worthwhile in a hearing on June 20th. As both sides are claiming damages, Posner wants them to explain if and how they're entitled to a payout should they win, including the possibility of a modest royalty instead of lump sums. Motorola is getting extra scrutiny since it's using standards-based patents that have drawn flak from lawmakers -- it will likely have to say how it thinks FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) licensing requirements for its 3G patent fit into its claims. The judge clearly warns that progress is contingent on Apple and Motorola meeting legal standards; if they fall short, it's not likely they'll get a third chance. Any success will revive the possibility of preliminary product bans, though, and that's something that most won't find something to cheer about. Judge puts Apple vs. Motorola hearing back on deck, asks the two to put up or shut up originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | FOSSpatents | Email this | Comments | |
