The Harlequin project

This impressive little mod is quite fantastic really. [pakkei] has constructed the Harlequin, a home-made version of the Microsoft courier. This was a stock Dell mini9. Now, coupled with a display link touch screen monitor that happens to be identical in size and resolution to the original, it has become a new device. He has loaded Windows7 and is currently working on a case that can hold all the bits a little more organized than what you see above. We can’t wait to see this finished.

[via engadget]

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Magic Mouse and MacBook teardowns

The folks at iFixit must hold some kind of record for fastest-voided warranty. It’s been less than 48 hours since Apple unleashed a torrent of new computers and peripherals, and they’ve already set upon the new wares like a pack of ravenous, spudger-wielding Velociraptors, photoblogging the splayed entrails for our edutainment.

The refreshed MacBook holds few surprises, resembling a Star Trek teleportation mix-up between the prior 13″ white MacBook and the current 13″ MacBook Pro. It retains a white polycarbonate case much like its predecessor while adopting a subset of the Pro’s components — CPU and GPU, glass trackpad, Mini DisplayPort, and the long-lived but sealed battery. Internally the system is still a maze of different-sized Torx, Phillips and tri-wing screws, but they do report this latest revision to be easier to dismantle for repair.

More novel inside and out is the new Magic Mouse, which early reports suggest may finally redeem Apple’s eleven year train wreck of mice. There’s not much to see on the bottom half — it’s a typical wireless mouse consisting of batteries, laser tracker and a Bluetooth chip. The top is something to behold though, with nearly the entire surface encrusted in capacitive sensors capable of gestural input. It resembles a miniature version of this electrostatic interface we saw in April.

No teardowns of the new iMacs, Mac mini or Time Capsule have taken place yet, but it’s surely just a matter of time. Even Velociraptors need to eat and sleep.

Update: 27″ iMac teardown added. Rawr!

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Mac tablets made by fans

Macintosh makes a lot of wonderful pieces of technology, but they do not make a tablet. Pictured above is the Modbook, the closest you can currently get to a Mac tablet. Though not officially built by Apple, they are an Apple Premier Developer and that isn’t too shabby.

Several people have taken it upon themselves to fashion Mac tablets of their own, varying from extremely professional looking finishes down to duct tape and wire. Lets take a look at some of the more popular ones out there.

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Dell puts Latitude Z up for sale

Yesterday Dell gave us the first glimpse of their Latitude Z notebook and told us that it was available then. Well, technical difficulties must have happened as the Latitude Z has just now went up for sale with a starting price of $1,799 instead of the previously reported $1,999.

For $1,799 you will be get a Latitude Z with a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, Intel’s GMA 4500MHD GPU, 2GB of RAM, an 8x slot-loading DVD bruner, WiFi, a 4-cell battery and a 3-year warranty.

via laptoping

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Toshiba Qosmio X500 Laptop

In addition to the other Qosmio laptops made by Toshiba, like the Distinct, the X305, or the M300, they have a new laptop added to their catalog, which is the Qosmio X500 and can be considered a top-notch laptop. If you don’t believe me just take a look at the specifications of this beast, and tell me afterwards if this is top-notch or not:

- Intel i7-720QM processor running at 2.8GHz;
- 8GB of RAM memory;
- up to 1TB on the hard-drive;
- a big 18.4-inch HD LCD;
- GeForce 250MVN as the video card, with 1GB of VRAM;
- and lastly, a 6x BD-RE drive

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Dell brings wireless charging to laptops with Latitude Z

At just over half an inch in thickness, the Dell Latitude Z will surely be the thinnest laptop on the block, but what really sets it apart are its features like wireless charging and wireless docking station. The notebook can be charged by placing it on a special stand that creates an inductive charging field, eliminating the need for a power cord completely, charging it at the same speed as a conventional cord. The wireless docking station supports any USB device and features sockets for audio jacks and placing the big Z within 9 feet of the station will give users wireless access to these devices. Dell has also put in a secondary motherboard with an ARM processor, a WiFi chip, and a graphics card running Linux to give users basic tools like email, browsing, and even VPN networking, and conserves battery power to run up to 48 hours.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Panasonic launches new laptops: S8 and N8

Earlier today Panasonic launched a couple of new laptops, and the better ones are codenamed S8 and N8. One of the most impressive details that can be seen in both laptops is the battery life, in other words, the standard model can handle 8 hours while the Enhanced version can work for 16 hours - good enough for you?

In terms of technical specifications, they are both top-notch notebooks. With that being said, the R8 boasts a Core 2 Duo P8700 processor running at 2.53GHz, with a hard-drive of 250GB and a graphics card powered by GM45 Express Chipset. The memory RAM can go from 2GB to 4GB, and the display screen measures 12.1-inches. Additional features include WiMAX, WiFi, Ethernet, SDHC, and HDMI Out.

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Toshiba presents new Satellite T100 series

T100 are the new series of laptops presented by Toshiba earlier today. What makes these series stand out from the rest is the fact that it’s the first system to use the Intel CULV platform, with Windows 7 as the operative System.

In these series you have the T115, which has the small 11.6-inch display screen with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels, and an option to pick the processor: a 1.3GHz Celeron, or a Dual-Core 1.3GHz Pentium. The bigger T135 has a 133-inch screen and the same processors, with the main difference being the inclusion of bluetooth on the T135. Other details include WiFi, a webcam, Windows / Home Premium, and probably a 250GB hard-drive.

While the T115 will cost $450, the T135 will have a price tag of $600.

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Sager launches NP8690 laptop

Sager has launched a new gaming laptop codenamed NP8690, which is also known as the world’s most powerful 15.6-inch gaming laptop, most probably because it uses the Intel Core i7 mobile and has 8GB of DDR RAM memory @ 1,333MHz. As if these specifications aren’t powerful enough, the NP8690 boasts a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M with 1GB as the video card, and a hard-drive with 500GB of storage capacity, plus a DVD burner.

Options for the processor include the Intel Core i7-720QM, the i7-820QM, and the i7-920XM. As for the extras, there is a 2-megapixel camera, WiFi, bluetooth, an Ethernet port, 4 USB ports, eSata, FireWire, a 7-in-1 media card reader, and even a fingerprint reader. Prices start at $1,800 and the OS can either be Windows XP or Vista.

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Woodie Laptop Skins for Notebooks Now Available

For the people who are tired of the usual dark encased plastic for their laptop or netbooks, Schtickers.com has revealed their new line of laptop skins. The new laptop skins come in real birch and cherry wood made for PC, Apple and Netbook laptops. These woodie laptop skins are removable and and reusable. These new skins will also allow laptop owners to transform their simple laptops into chic and luxurious looking device in a matter of seconds. These Woodie Laptop Skins retail for just under $35.00.

(Source) Press

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FON launches Fonera 2.0n web applications router

FON has recently announced that their Fonera 2.0n web applications 802.11n router is now available in the US for $99. The Fonera is by no means your conventional router but instead it’s what is described as a “computer with no screen” in the sense that you could control a ridiculous amount of different web applications such as Twitter, Facebook in addition to download torrents remotely.

But that’s not all, you can hook up a web cam, printer and just about everything else you think of to the Fonera and control them all remotely. Better yet, it’s open source!

Still confused? Hit the break for a video breakdown of the Fonera 2.0n router.

via wifi planet

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Razer updates their DeathAdder gaming mouse

Everyone who is anyone knows that mouses designed for gaming are the best mouses out there. The Razer DeathAdder in particular has generally been regarded as one of the best mouses on the market today whether you use it for gaming or not.

Well, the above mentioned mouse has just gotten even better as Razer has announced that they are making the next generation DeathAdder available for purchase at $59.99 at some point in the extremely near future. The updates to this version include a 3.5G 3500dpi infared sensor in addition to a braided cable that will virtually eliminate tangles.

Unfortunately for you left handed consumers out there, this device still caters exclusively to right handed folk.

via engadget

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Apple to refresh plastic MacBooks?

The plastic MacBooks have long sat idle while the unibody MacBooks have gotten a refresh so it would only make sense that Apple is gearing up to launch fresh hardware.

Recent reports coming out of AppleInsider suggest that a plastic MacBook with a thinner design is currently being manufactured and could possibly hit store shelves within the next couple of weeks. Furthermore, they say they will also feature a built-in battery much like the ones found in their unibody brethren.

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Laptop running on a sealed lead acid battery

[Viktor's] laptop needed a new battery; he had the trade off between carrying around a cheap but heavy sealed lead acid (SLA) battery, or buying an expensive but light Li-Ion battery. Figuring his old laptop was pretty heavy already, and having an unused SLA available, re-purposing it for his laptop wouldn’t be too much of a hassle. Using a boost converter he built out of a custom dip MAX668, he is able to output the necessary 5 amps required. An MC 34161 voltage monitor chip is planned for future revisions, but he’s currently running it just fine. Check out some of his other cool hacks on Karosium.

Related: MSI Wind extended battery

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Nokia netbook running Android slated for carries next year?

The world definitely has no shortage of netbooks with the majority of them running different versions of Windows or Linux. Android, however, has been shown to be very capable of holding its own when booted up on a netbook.

Nokia seems to think that the operating system is reading for primetime as analyst Daniel Amir from Lazard Capital Markets was quoted to have said the folowing:

In our conversations with ODMs, we have confirmed that Nokia is planning to enter the netbook market with a Google Android, ARM-based netbook that would be sold at carriers. Considering this market is dominated by the PC players, we believe Nokia could face an uphill battle to succeed in this market.

Take this with a grain of salt, even though Mr. Amir claims its cofirmed, until we hear official word from Nokia.

Read (GIGAOM)

Tags: analyst, android netbook, carrier, Laptops, Mobile News, Mobile Software, Nokia, Nokia, operating system, rumor

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Dell Vostro Comes Now with a Nokia N97

Are you looking for a smartphone or a laptop? What about both? Dell has a hot offer for you right now. The Vostro and the Nokia N97 will be sold together for the special price of $730. You can get that special price after applying a $399 off coupon to your shopping cart but you have you have to act fast! The offer will be available until July 1 or until supply lasts. If you take advantage right away of this deal and then sell the Vostro for around $400 (retails regularly at $420) then you’ll actually end up paying only around $350 for the unlocked N97. That’s a more than impressive price to pay for Nokia’s current flagship phone. Right now the N97 is not available from any carrier in the USA so anyone interested in it would have to get it for the regular price of $699 from a Nokia store. And if you do decide to keep the laptop for yourself you’re still the winner! You’ll be paying just $730 for a combined value of $1,120.

via logicbuy

Tags: Dell, Laptops, Mobile News, Mobile Software, N97, Nokia, Nokia, Off The Topic, Portable Devices, vostro

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Stereo microphones in an MSI Wind

[Matt] wrote in to tell us about this project. He plans on travelling with his MSI Wind and wanted better audio recording capabilities. He decided to install an additional microphone and a preamp. He made a custom preamp and wired it directly to the motherboard. The microphone was then mounted in the laptop screen. The second microphone is placed opposite of the first, about 18cm apart which [Matt] claims gives it a binaural effect. We think that this might just classify as stereo though. Wouldn’t you have to seperate them with a barrier or dampening device for binaural? It doesn’t really matter though, stereo mics are a great addition to the MSI Wind, and he did it very well. He does point out that it picks up a lot of noise though. There’s always room for improvement.

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