Toshiba’s new UX600 Cinema Series line of LED TVs is Windows 7 certified

Toshiba’s new UX600 Cinema Series line of LED TVs is the first of its kind to receive a compatible with the Windows 7 operating system certification. What this means is that the UX600s have the ability to use Window 7’s “Play To” feature to play music, pictures, and videos by connecting to your home network through Ethernet or wireless connectivity.

This series features 3 models at 40”, 46”, and 55” size at $1400, $1700, and $2400 respectively. Each model however features Toshiba’s ClearFrame 120Hz screen, 24 fps cinema mode, 4 HDMI ports, 3,000,000:1 contrast ratio along with both an Ethernet port and a Wi-Fi adapter for easy network connectivity. For more information about their specs, check out

Kingston DataTraveler 310 Flash Drive Offers 256GB of Storage

Kingston DataTraveler 310 Flash Drive Offers 256GB of Storage

Do you need to move a lot of files with reasonable portability? then the storage gurus at Kingston have got you covered with their new DataTraveler 310 flash drive which offers a whopping 256 GB of storage. It’s obviously one of the biggest commercially available flash drives out there currently.


There isn’t really anything special to say about the DataTraveler… it’s a flash drive, albeit, one with a huge storage capacity. It’s compatible with almost any OS you could want, including all versions of Windows newer than Windows 2000, versions of Mac OS X newer than Panther, and any Linux OS that uses any kernel later than v2.6.
Oh yeah, it even supports ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost is the feature that’s included with Windows Vista and 7 that lets you use flash mass storage devices for disk cache. 256GB is the maximum amount of storage that ReadyBoost can use and apparently, you can plug the DataTraveler 310 into your Windows 7 PC for a little boost of 256GB of Page Cache.
There’s just a little catch, Kingston is selling the DataTraveler 310 at enormous cost. It’s set to retail for $1,108. New sizes of flash drives are always pricey, though, just imagine what a 1GB flash drive would of cost in the year 2000. So, unfortunately due to the cost, the DataTraveler 310 will only be used by people who really need portable 256GB memory, for now.

Netbooks Get Bigger: 10''-12''

My first netbook was an 8.9" ACER aspire one . It was a great little computer, but the screen size did get on my nerves more than once. Small-screened netbooks are fine for taking notes or short-term browsing, but 8.9" just isn't enough to make most of us happy. Thanks to ultraportable notebooks, netbooks are trending down in price and up in size. Digitimes reports that "industry sources" expect most starter netbooks will have 10" monitors in 2010.

They expect that mid-range netbooks in 2010 will feature touchscreens, and that 12" netbooks will be the main profit drivers for the vendors themselves. Basically, this means that the profit margin on 12" netbooks will be higher than for other sizes. Beware of price gouging on 12" models.

Expect a lot of Ion-powered netbooks in 2010 as well. Since the Atom platform can only be used with a 10"-or less display, many vendors are expected to combine the Ion chipset with an Atom processor for 12" netbooks. The game will change when Intel's Pine Trail platform (with an integrated GPU) hits. Ion 2 will be coming out close to the same time.

If you're a budget-conscious shopper, the best time to make your next netbook purchases will be later next year, after Pine Trail and Ion 2 hit. Old devices will be discounted substantially in order to clear the shelves for new ones. I wouldn't be surprised to see 10" touchscreen netbooks going for well under $500 next year.

Netbook Buyers Don't Want Windows 7 'Starter'

Many users looking to buy a netbook are put off by units that come with Windows 7 Starter Edition, according to a survey by an online consumer comparison shopping site. Unfortunately, the site, Retrevo.com, found consumers have little choice.

The site found that most of the netbooks sold by Amazon.com -- 23 out of 28 -- came with what Retrevo referred to in a blog post as "a low-end feature-starved version that lacks many of the features that make other versions of Windows 7 so attractive." In short, they almost all come with Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows 7 Starter Edition pre-installed.

So Retrevo decided to ask its customers what they think.

With some 1,100 consumers responding, the non-scientific survey found that 56 percent said they'd be dissatisfied if a new netbook came with Starter Edition, the lowest-end edition of the new Windows 7 operating system.

In addition, 61 percent did not realize that Windows 7 Starter Edition lacks features that come standard with Windows XP, which until now has been the most popular operating system to ship with netbooks.

For example, Starter Edition lacks multiple monitor support, the ability to personalize the desktop, and DVD playback capabilities. It also does not sport the Aero user interface.

Despite that, however, 54 percent of the respondents said they knew the differences between the various editions of Windows 7. Of course, that also means that 46 percent do not.

Microsoft has been trying to kill off XP for at least two years, but the aging OS has remained popular as a low-cost system for netbooks. It's also proven to show staying power in the corporate world, with some enterprise IT shops purchasing Windows Vista systems and then exercising their right to "downgrade" those systems to XP.

Security App

However, the runaway popularity of netbooks -- low-powered laptops with small keyboards and screens that typically cost less than $400 -- prompted Microsoft to respond with a version of Windows 7 it believes is tailored to such a market.

Now, with the advent of Windows 7 and Starter Edition in particular, Microsoft is again looking at ending XP's reign. For one thing, the Wall Street Journal said in an April story that Microsoft only gets around $15 per copy of XP that goes onto a netbook, compared to twice or three times that for Vista on a regular notebook PC.

Although Microsoft has not disclosed what it's getting for each copy of Windows 7 Starter, Microsoft executives have said it is more than it gets for the eight-year old XP.

"With today's netbooks, we sell you XP at a price. When we launch Windows 7, an OEM can put XP on the machine at one price, Windows 7 Starter Edition at a higher price, Windows 7 Home Edition at a higher price, and Windows 7 Professional at a higher price," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in July at the company's annual financial analysts meeting.

Beyond Starter Edition's shortcomings, however, Microsoft has done a few things to make it more attractive to netbook buyers, including lifting what had originally been a three-application limit for netbooks.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company would have no direct comment regarding the Retrevo survey.

from internetnews.com

Sony releases Vaio X, Vaio CW Laptops

Sony has released the official specs for its super-slim Sony Vaio X series laptops, which the company was showing off last month at the IFA trade show in Berlin. The specs are pretty close to what was predicted, but there are a few surprises--including a lower-than-expected price. Sony also detailed its upcoming Vaio CW series laptops, which are less expensive than the X series.

The Sony Vaio X is sure to turn heads, with its carbon fiber body weighing in at 1.6 pounds. At only 0.55-inches thick, the new Vaio X is a little bit thinner than the recently announced Dell Latitude Z, and a lot lighter than most ultra-slim notebooks.

You will have to make some trade offs for the Vaio X's sleek chassis, though, starting with its puny 11.1-inch LED backlit screen with 1366 x 768 resolution. By comparison, the MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch diagonal screen and the Dell Latitude Z sports a whopping 16-inch display. As for the processor, Sony will only say it's a 2.0 GHz Intel chip. Early speculation said the Vaio X would come with an Atom processor, which would make the Vaio X's processor the Atom Z550, but that is only speculation.

The Vaio X ships with Windows 7, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 64GB solid-state drive, multi-touch trackpad, Memory Stick Duo and SD card slots, GPS (works in the U.S. and Canada only), Ethernet, Wi-Fi (802.11n) and Bluetooth connectivity, 2 X USB 2.0 ports, and MOTION EYE Webcam. The Vaio X also comes with built-in 3G capability, which requires a Verizon wireless broadband subscription. Available colors include black and gold. The Vaio X's body is made of carbon fiber, but the top case around the trackpad and keyboard is aluminum.

Sony Vaio X pricing starts at $1300, which is much lower than Sony's claim last month that they Vaio X would be priced under $2000. The Vaio X will start shipping in November and can be found on Sonystyle.com right now.

CW Series


For something a little cheaper you can try the Sony Vaio CW on for size. This laptop runs Windows 7, and features an optional Blu-ray drive, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce dedicated graphics card, 320GB hard drive and HDMI out, which Sony says will allow you to playback high-definition content on your big screen TV. Available colors include fiery red, poppy pink, icy white, jet black and indigo purple.

The Vaio CW series starts at $780, but looking around on Sony's Website, the cheapest version I could find of the model described above started at $800. The CW Series will be available at the end of this month, likely after the Windows 7 launch on October 22.

Nokia Booklet 3G between netbook and notebook

You may be wondering why Nokia, the world's mobile phone leader, is finally entering the personal computer market. Well, as Kai Oistamo, Nokia's executive vice president for devices, summed it up, "A growing number of people want the computing power of a PC with the full benefits of mobility ... and the Nokia Booklet 3G is a natural evolution for us."

After more than 25 years as a pioneer and leader in the mobile industry, Nokia now is rocking the PC world with the new, Windows-based Nokia Booklet 3G.

So is it a netbook or laptop? The 10.1-inch screen and Atom processor put it clearly in the netbook market, but, according to Wired, it also comes with some extras you won't find elsewhere - the kind of extras you'd expect from a cell phone manufacturer: "Nokia doesn't make phones. It makes portable devices. And it appears the Finnish company also doesn't make netbooks. Instead it makes "mini-laptops . "

"You could call it a fancy netbook," another site, Engadget, writes, "but that screen is higher res than your average Eee, and it also sports integrated 3G wireless and a hot-swappable SIM card, so it's definitely trying to define its own niche."

There is an Intel Atom Z530 running at 1.6 GHz, 1 GB of memory and a 120 GB hard drive. The Booklet 3G promises to deliver longer operating time with up to 12 hours of battery life. A full-function PC, the new mini-laptop weighs 1.25 kilograms, with a thickness of slightly more than 2 centimeters. It also offers a broad range of connectivity options, including 3G/ HSPA and Wi-Fi.

Its talents don't end there. The mini-laptop also comes with an HDMI port for HD video out, a front-facing camera, integrated Bluetooth and an SD card reader. Other features include the 10-inch glass HD-ready display and integrated A-GPS which work with the Ovi Maps gadget. The Nokia Booklet 3G also can access and play back millions of tracks through the Nokia Music Store, or using Ovi Suite to sync seamlessly from your Nokia smartphone to your mini-laptop.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to get hands-on with the ultra-portable device at Nokia World 2009 (Sept. 2-3) in Stuttgart, Germany. I had the impression that it really looks like a notebook, rather than a common netbook. It even deserves its premium positioning. Its unibody aluminum chassis feels as slick as an Apple's MacBook Pro. Its soft keyboard with well-spaced buttons made me enjoying typing. The trackpad also is large.

Why does the ultra-portable use Windows 7? Instead of, let's say, Maemo software as implemented on the new-launched N900? (The N900 is Nokia's latest generation of Internet Tablets using the new Linux-based Maemo 5 software.)

In a group interview during the Nokia World, Jonas Geust, vice president of Explore, said it's a pragmatic way for Nokia to enter the laptop market by using Microsoft's latest operating system. Moreover, "Maemo itself, and also Symbian, so far, couldn't be used for a larger screen like a notebook," he said.

The Nokia Booklet 3G netbook will cost 575 euros (US$816) before subsidies and taxes, but according to Nokia executive vice president Anssi Vanjoki, the company expects the device to be cheaper when it reaches consumers as a result of subsidies by network operators.

However, getting some operators to subsidize the netbook may be difficult, according to Geoff Blaber, analyst at CCS Insight. As PC World reports, Nokia's plan to push a suite of its own online services with the Booklet 3G will not sit well with carriers offering competing services.

Jonas admitted that the Booklet 3G is not designed as a cheapest notebook. "It's a stylish notebook with robust connectivity and longer operating time," he said. "We expect everybody will love the pocketable notebook we offer."

Last but not least, let's see how Nokia will be able to deal with the notebook market. A good try, I think.

The writer is a tech blogger and can be reached at budiputra.com or twitter.com/budip

Intel released a New microprocessors just for Windows 7 launch

Intel today introduced new computer microprocessors designed for faster performance for video games, digital media and other software.

The microprocessors, the brains that run personal computers, include new Core i5 and Core i7 chips and the Xeon 3400 series, Intel said in a news release. The chips are designed for desktop and server computers.

According to the popular VentureBeat blog, Intel is introducing the new chips for computers that will run Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system, due later this year.

"They're the foundation upon which computer makers hope to build their recovery this fall," VentureBeat writer Dean Takahashi wrote.

Samsung will offer its first OLED laptop next year

After all this talk of OLED screens on the way, it had to happen: an OLED laptop. Samsung says it aims to roll out this beauty with a 12.1-inch, 1280x768 AMOLED screen by the end of next year, and it might even be available as early as the third quarter.

Samsung SDI is the world's largest OLED screen manufacturer, so it would be only natural for it to be first up with an OLED notebook. This will certainly be a premium item — nobody's talking price, but we're guessing this sexy lappie will probably cost at least $5000. Fast forward five years, and OLED laptops will be commonplace ... and cheap.

Toshiba release its first touch-screen tablet

CNET News, currently attending the IFA convention in Berlin, is reporting that Toshiba surprised the audience with the reveal of its first touch-screen tablet, the JournE. Touch. While the name recalls memories of Steve Perry's tenor voice and the 80's mullet hairdo, the device definitely makes us salivate for a hands-on impression. Weighing less than a pound and featuring a 7-inch screen, Toshiba is not only aiming to beat competitors to the market, but offer a third Internet device in the home for consumers.

Toshiba executive Marco Perino told CNET that the JournE's prime goal is to give consumers access to the Internet without having to boot up the PC (although most of us leave the PC on anyway, so that point seems moot). It's also an alternative to Internet-ready smartphones that provide small, "not so practical" keyboards. Perino also said that the device would be perfect for sharing content to other devices within the home, such as connecting it to a TV and steaming web-based video and photos.

On the hardware side, the device features an ARM processor, Windows CE, and integrated Wi-Fi. The device is only a half-inch thick, however according to CNET, the touchpad isn't designed for data input (but has an application for typing). Toshiba hasn't released an official press release as of yet, so expect more hardware specs to appear soon.

The JournE Touch is expected to ship in Europe first by the end of 2009, with other regions to follow thereafter. As for pricing, the tablet is slated to retail for (roughly) $360, or 249 Euros.