ASUS EEE NOTE EA800 PREVIEW

The Asus Eee Note EA800 is one of the most interesting devices to hit the market in 2010. the tablet / note-taking device is not yet available for purchase in the US, but it has started shipping in Taiwan.The Eee Note EA800 has an 8-inch 64-shade grayscale display. It is designed for note-taking. While popular tablets like iPad and Galaxy Tab have colorful multi-touch displays, the Eee Note uses

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ASUS TO LAUNCH G73SW AND G53SW GAMING LAPTOPS WITH SANDY BRIDGE PROCESSORS

Asus will soon launch two new gaming laptops with Intel's upcoming 2nd generation Core series processors, codenamed Sandy Bridge. Intel is expected to officially launch the Sandy Bridge platform at CES in January. The Asus G73SW and the G53SW have 17.3 inch and 15.6 inch displays respectively. They will both have Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M discrete graphics

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DELL TO LAUNCH LATITUDE 2120 WITH DUAL CORE ATOM PROCESSOR

The Dell Latitude netbooks are aimed at the education market. What makes them suitable for use in the classroom are their rubberized case and anti-microbial treatment.Dell has been giving minor updates to these netbooks for a while, and now sources report that the company will launch a new model called the Latitude 2120 at CES next week.The Dell Latitude 2120 will be available with an Intel Atom

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ASUS TO LAUNCH EP121, EP101, EP102 AND EP71 TABLETS AT CES

Like every other PC maker on the planet, Asus is also set to unveil a new line of tablet computers at CES next week. Asus released a teaser video of its 12.1 inch EP121 last week. A couple of days ago, the company also released some close-up shots of its tablets. We already knew that the EP121 will have a large display and a keyboard docking station although it is not clear whether that keyboard

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MSI TO LAUNCH WINDPAD 100A AND 100W ANDROID AND WINDOWS TABLETS AT CES

MSI has announced that it will launch two new tablets at CES next week. Both machines will have 10.1 inch displays. While one of the tablets has an ARM-based processor and runs Google Android, the other tablet runs Windows 7 on an x86 based processor.The Android tablet will be called MSI WindPad 100A. It will have a 10.1 inch multitouch display, GPS, G-Sensor, a digital compass and ALS light

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TOSHIBA ANNOUNCES NB550D WITH AMD ONTARIO PROCESSOR

AMD is all set to launch its Fusion line of processors which include the low power Ontario and Zacate chips. The Fusion processors are AMD's answer to Intel's Atom. They are quite power efficient and deliver significantly better performance than the Atom processors. Needless to say we will see lots of laptops sporting the brand new AMD chips at CES. But Toshiba it looks like is in no mood to wait

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GIGABYTE UNVEILS Q2005 NETBOOK WITH DUAL CORE ATOM PROCESSOR

Gigabyte has launched a new netbook called the Gigabyte Q2005. The device has a dual core Atom N550 processor. Unlike the Gigabyte T1005 convertible, the Q2005 doesn't have a touchscreen or swiveling display. The Gigabyte Q2005 also lacks the high resolution display found in the T1005. This model has a regular 10.1 inch display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. Other specifications include

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SAMSUNG COULD LAUNCH GALAXY TAB2 NEXT WEEK

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is one of the best-selling tablets on the market. Samsung has already sold 1.2 million Galaxy Tabs and is keen on expanding its share in the worldwide tablet market. Word is that Samsung is already working on the next version of the Galaxy Tab. What's more, the Galaxy Tab2 could be introduced as early as next week. It is not clear whether the new Galaxy Tab will have a

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MSI TO LAUNCH U270 LAPTOP WITH AMD ZACATE PROCESSOR

MSI hasn't had any major product release in 2010. The company did launch a few minor revisions of its existing netbook and laptop lineup, but that's all we heard from them in the last 12 months or so. But things are going to get exciting again. MSI is preparing to launch an 11.6 inch laptop called U270 with AMD's new Zacate processor in 2011. The AMD Zacate processor has a low power processor

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ASUS Primed to Release Sandy Bridge Laptops

ASUS is good and ready with Sandy Bridge being on desktops but it comes as no great surprise that the company would be trying to integrate Intel's latest technology into their mobile computing platforms as well. According to Notebook Italia, there seems to be some concrete evidence of four separate models of ASUS laptops getting the Sandy Bridge treatment, including a hefty gaming rig known as the G73SW.

According to information out now, the G73SW will be based on the Intel Quad Core processor with Huron River Sandy Bridge. The device will also have Intel Core i7-2630QM, 8GB of DDR3 RAM at 133MHz, a 17.3-inch LCD screen with 1920x1080 pixel resolution Full HD, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and USB 3.0 dual storage bays. Data storage can also be carried out by up to 2 hard drives. ASUS has decided to use two SATA 500GB 7200rpm signed Seagate Momentus XT series hybrid drives with a 4GB SSD.

Adding more to this already great device, ASUS is adding a Blu-ray drive and a dedicated graphics card in the form of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460m 1.5GB GDDR5 graphics card. The G73SW is available online for a price somewhere between $2,500 and $2,700. In addition to the G73SW news has also trickled out about the more compact G53SW.

This device is already available in some online shops and will come with an Intel Core i7-2630QM, 8GB of RAM, 1TB of data storage space on the hard disk, the GeForce GTX 460m graphics card, Blu-ray, webcam, microphone, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and a 15.6-inch HD screen. Both of these devices run Windows 7 OS Home Premium 64bit and come with a carrying case, gaming mouse and guaranteed two year warranty. Alternately, you can get a lesser version of the G53SW which comes with 6GB of DDR3 RAM, 640GB of hard drive space and a DVD burner for around $1,700. Expect to see more details about these products at CES 2011.

Source: Engadget, Notebook Italia

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ONKYO TO LAUNCH 10 INCH ANDROID TABLET

Onkyo, the Japanese PC Maker,launched a whole line of Windows 7 tablets recently. And now the company has set its sight on the ubiquitous Android tablet space as well. PC Watch reports that Onkyo will soon launch a 10 inch tablet PC with a second generation NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. The device will run Android 2.2 operating system. The Onkyo tablet will have a 10.1 inch capacitive multitouch

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DELL STREAK 7 PASSES THROUGH FCC

The Dell Streak 7 has passed through the FCC. Although Dell has confirmed that it is building 7- and 10 inch tablets, it hasn't yet officially announced the Streak 7. Nevertheless, the little machine has been very much in news recently. Last week we saw it featuring in a leaked commercial treatment, then it earned its WiFi certification and yesterday some more photos of the tablet leaked out. And

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HP PAVILION DV6 SPOTED WITH INTEL SANDY BRIDGE PROCESSOR IN SINGAPORE

Intel will officially launch its Sandy Bridge processors at CES in January. And it looks like HP will be the first company to sell a laptop equipped with the new Sandy Bridge Core series processors. An HP Pavilion dv6 sporting the new processor has been spotted in an electronics store in Singapore. The new Pavilion dv6 has the same case design as the previous line of dv6 laptops. The only major

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ARCHOS 70 AND ARCHOS 101 TABLETS REVIEWED

Long before Apple and other PC Makers threw their hat into the tablet ring, Archos had been building tablet computers that were primarily designed for surfing the web on an all screen device. Archos still builds internet tablets and they are way cheaper than those tablets built by companies based in the US and Europe. Better still, Archos tablets also possess capacitive touchscreen displays,

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REFURBISHED 11.6 INCH MACBOOK AIR NOW SELLING FOR $849

Apple recently released an 11.6 inch version of their iconic MacBook Air. While the machine has a smaller display it isn't quite a netbook because netbooks are cheap computers. while the MacBook Air, at $999, is cheap for an Apple laptop, it isn't cheap by netbook standards. In fact, you can pick up two or three Atom powered Windows netbooks for that price. On the other hand, the MacBook Air has

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BENQ TO LAUNCH A 10 INCH ANDROID TABLET

BenQ is the latest PC maker to announce a tablet. The company doesn't usually sell its computers in the US or Europe, but they are available in Taiwan and China and some other parts of Asia. Now PC World reports that BenQ will launch an Android tablet in China and Taiwan in the first quarter of 2011. The BenQ R100 tablet will have a 10.1 inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600

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DELL STREAK 7 ANDROID TABLET COMING SOON

Dell has already announced that it is building 7- and 10 inch Android tablets. The company already has a 5 inch tablet PC called Dell Streak. While there is still no official launch date, it looks like the 7 inch model is getting close to its launch. Earlier this week the name Dell Streak 7 showed up on a website that makes cases for tablets. Shortly afterwards, the device earned its WiFi

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ACER ASPIRE ONE 522 SPOTTED WITH DUAL CORE AMD ONTARIO PROCESSOR

Acer has officially launched its Aspire One 522 netbook. The Aspire One 522 has a 1GHz AMD C-50 Ontario dual core APU which is a member of the AMD Fusion platform. Other specifications include integrated Radeon 6250 graphics with full DirectX 11 support and UVD3 for better hardware accelerated video. Acer claims that the laptop will get around 6 hours of battery life and that may be true because

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LENOVO LEPAD TABLET COMING SOON

Lenovo, it looks like, is all set to launch its upcoming LePad tablet in China. According to sources, Lenovo has started an official microblog in China which has a few shots of the tablet PC. At first glance, the LePad doesn't look all that different from a small notebook. But if you look closely, you will find that the machine has a detachable display. The display has its own processor and

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IN MEDIA LAUNCHES 'THE TABLET PC' WINDOWS TABLET

In Media has launched a new tablet PC which is simply called The Tablet PC. It runs the full version of Windows 7 so you can run most of the apps you are used to running on your PC. The In Media Tablet is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor. It also has a large 160GB hard drive.The In Media Tablet has a 10 inch display with full touchscreen functionality. It has an HDMI output port for

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ASUS PROMISES 'EEE FOR EVERYONE' AT CES

Asus has promised an 'Eee for everyone' at CES 2011. The company will reportedly showcase 7-, 9-, 10- and 12- inch Android and Windows tablets at the trade show. Back in May Asus had announced a 12 inch tablet PC called EP121. It looks like this machine has been renamed Eee Slate. Back then it was called Eee Tablet.The Asus Eee Slate isn't your typical tablet PC.It runs Windows 7 and has a Core

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MICROSOFT TO ANNOUNCE WINDOWS FOR ARM CHIPS AT CES

Microsoft is expected to announce a version of the Windows operating system for ARM processors at CES in January. Of course, Microsoft hasn't commented on this rumor, but both Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal report that Windows for ARM chips is indeed coming. The proposed OS will support both ARM and x86 (Intel and AMD) based chips. Today's best smartphones and some hugely popular tablets (ipad

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HP / PALM TO LAUNCH THREE WEBOS TABLETS AT CES?

Fox News reports that HP/Palm will be showing off three new tablet computers at CES. The PalmPads, as these machines will be called, will run the webOS 2.5.1 operating system. They will look exactly like the HP Slate the company introduced a few weeks ago and that is quite intriguing.The tablets will also feature front and rear-facing (at 1.3 and 3 megapixels) cameras, USB 3.0 port, a mini HDMI

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VILIV TO LAUNCH X7,X10 AND X70 TABLETS AT CES

The closer we get to the CES, the more product announcements we hear. The latest company to announce that they will be launching new products at CES is Viliv. Viliv will showcase three new tablets - two Android tablets (X7 and X10) and one Windows tablet (X70) - at CES.As you can probably imagine from their names the Viliv X7 and X10 will have 7 and 10 inch displays respectively. The X10 will

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Digital Storm's New xm15 Gaming Laptop

Digital Storm has just announced their newest product, the xm15, a powerful new lightweight laptop based on NVIDIA's Optimus Hybrid Technology. The xm15 is a different kind of laptop that delivers targeted, extreme performance when you need it so you will always enjoy longer operation without losing the ability to enjoy the visual intensity of HD movies, multimedia applications, web surfing and gaming.

This laptop delivers high graphics for a variety of multimedia content due to NVIDIA's powerful GT 425M 1GB video card. By utilizing NVIDIA's Optimus Hybrid technology, this laptop can defer operation to a second separate integrated Intel graphics processor for less intensive applications. This switch happens automatically and seamlessly meaning that there is no interruption in operation.

By increasing and decreasing performance whenever necessary, the xm15 is able to extend battery life exponentially. The powerful video card in this device makes it not surprising at all that the xm15 has a 1080p HD LED screen that is capable of producing some truly incredible images.

The xm15 puts your benchmark tests to shame as well. It routinely scores above 7200 on 3DMark06 which puts it in the upper levels of laptop performance. Thanks to a built-in light speed eSATA and USB 3.0 transfer ports, you will never have to be tethered to stagnant bulk data. In addition to that, the xm15 comes with a built-in HDMI and VGA outputs, which means it can be taken anywhere and displayed everywhere.

According to Rajeev Kuruppu, Digital Storm's Director of Product Development, "The power demands of high performance laptops have always put a strain on battery life. With the development of NVIDIA's Optimus Hybrid Technology, we're finally able to design an affordable laptop that can handle graphics intensive applications. Our xm15 is the ideal solution for customers who want to consume graphically rich multimedia content, game or just browse the internet...it's truly a hybrid in every definition of the word."

Full specs of the xm15 consist of a 2.4GHz Core i5-520M, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320GB HDD and NVIDIA's 425M 1GB graphics card for a base rate of $999. You can also increase your build to have a 2.53GHz Core i5-540M for $1,086 or a 2.8GHz Core i7-640M for $1,367.

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NEC TO LAUNCH DUAL SCREEN TABLET AT CES

NEC has announced that it will launch a dual screen Android tablet at CES in January. The device will have two 7 inch touchscreen displays, Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G capabilities and a stylus. It will be part of NEC's Cloud Communicator tablet lineup.Perhaps the most interesting thing about the tablet is its ability to run different apps on each display at the same time. NEC claims that this is an

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MOTOROLA TO SHOW OFF ITS ANDROID TABLET AT CES

Motorola has started building buzz about its upcoming Android tablet. The company released a teaser video yesterday which showcased a bee - maybe a metaphor for the Motorola tablet - and some existing tablets. Still there is little information that we already didn't know.We have already heard that the Motorola tablet will be one of the first devices to run Google's Android version called

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ASUS EEE PC 1008P GETS UPGRADED TO DUAL CORE ATOM N550 IN GERMANY

Asus, like most other PC makers, is expected to unveil new lines of netbooks and notebooks at CES. But right now, the company is busy upgrading some of its existing models. One of the machines the Eee PC 1008P has now been updated to a dual core Atom processor. For the time being, this model is only available in Germany.In the US the Eee PC 1008P Karim Rashid Edition which has a designer lid is

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EXOPC WINDOWS TABLET UP FOR PRE-ORDER IN THE US

The ExoPC tablet computer is now up for pre-order in the US. Microsoft Store has started taking pre-orders for the tablet for $699.For that price you will get an 11.6 inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, an Intel Atom N450 processor, 64GB SSD, 2GB of RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium. The biggest USP of the tablet, however, is its custom user interface which is designed

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NOTION INK RELEASES DEMO VIDEO FOR ADAM TABLET

Notion Ink has released a demo video for its upcoming Adam tablet computer. This is the first time the tablet has been captured in action. The Notion Ink Adam tablet has a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, optional Pixel Qi display, reasonable price tag and a rotating camera. In the video, the Adam is shown running multiple applications simultaneously. The tablet has a custom user interface which allows

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E FUN NEXT3 ANDROID TABLET NOW UP FOR ORDER FOR $200

Yet another Android tablet has been announced in time for CES. The E FUN Next3 runs Android 2.1. Its specs are nothing remarkable to write home about. The tablet has an 8.4 inch resistive display with a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels. It is powered by a 600MHz Rockchip processor. Other specifications include WiFi 802.11b/g, 2GB of internal storage and an SD card slot. Of course, it is more of an

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ELOCITY A7 ANDROID TABLET DOESN'T HAVE TRUE MULTITOUCH

The eLocity A7 is an Android tablet PC with impressive hardware and an irresistible price tag. It is actually one of the first Android tablets available in the US to sport a NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor and Android 2.2 operating system. What's more it is priced at $299. So far so good. Unfortunately there are a few downsides too. eLocity claims that the tablet has a capacitive display that

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GAMMATECH LAUNCHES D12C RUGGED CONVERTIBLE LAPTOP

The GammaTech D12C is a rugged convertible tablet style notebook. It doesn't look all that pretty, but is quite capable of getting the job done in unfavourable conditions. The D12C has a 12.1 inch LED backlit WXGA touchscreen display. It is powered by a Core i5-540UM processor. Other specifications include up to 8GB of memory, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, optional Bluetooth, optional smart card reader

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CTL 2GO CLASSMATE PC E11 UP FOR ORDER

The CTL 2Go Classmate PC E11 is now up for order. Like other netbooks from CTL, the Classmate PC E11 is also based on Intel's Classmate PC reference design. It is aimed at the education market.The Classmate E11 isn't all that cheap. The base model is priced at $445. For that price you will get an Intel Atom N455 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and Windows 7 Starter Edition. Other

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HANNSPREE ANDROID TABLET HITS THE FCC

A 10 inch Android tablet PC from Hannspree has hit the FCC which means that it is closer to its launch in the US. Hannspree has been talking about the device for a while. The machine has impressive specs including a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 16GB of storage, HDMI output port and a 3500mAh battery. It runs Android 2.2.The FCC has published documents related to the Hannspree HDG1164 tablet, as

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VELOCITY MICRO CRUZ T301 AND T103 TABLETS OVERVIEW

Velocity Micro has added another tablet to its lineup. The new Cruz T301 has a 7 inch display with a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels which makes it ideal for reading webpages and ebooks. Incidentally the company also has another 7 inch tablet called Cruz T103. This model has an 800 x 480 pixels display which makes it good for watching widescreen movies.Both T103 and T301 run about $250. The Crux

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Color E-Books at the iBookstore

The New York Times has said that Apple is now making a huge push for the illustrated e-books that they have available in their iBookstore.

The newest version of Apple’s iPad e-reader software, iBook 1.2, was released on Wednesday, December 15, and it introduced more than 100 new color e-books to the store. The Times reported that these new color books include children’s books, cookbooks, and photo books.

A few of the titles that have made the list include: chef Thomas Keller's cookbook, "Ad Hoc at Home," several books from the "Olivia" children's book series, and photographer Ansel Adams' collection of images called "In the National Parks."

With the announcement Apple seems to be focusing a lot on the addition of illustrated children’s books. The Times said that the company seemed very excited about it as well as many different publishers.

Jon Anderson, publisher from Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, said that his publishing company has been "itching to do it since e-books became possible." Unfortunately, for a while there was a lack of color options for e-books, but now there are endless possibilities. "It finally gives us the opportunity to have our picture books join the e-book revolution," said Anderson in an interview. "It gives us great opportunity to monetize our content in a way that we previously haven't been able to."

Simon & Schuster are releasing some great titles that will be included with the new color e-books released at the iBookstore. Some of these titles include: Candace Fleming's "Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Hide!", Elise Broach's "When Dinosaurs Came With Everything," and Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell's "And Tango Makes Three."

The Times said that, according to Anderson, at the start of 2011 color e-books will begin to be released at the same exact time as the print edition of the book. Right now, this is already what has been going on for text-only e-books and their print versions, but soon it will apply to all e-books.

Apple told the Times that there will be many other publishers producing color e-books for the iBookstore in the near future. Just a few of these include: Disney Publishing, HarperCollins, the Hachette Book Group, and MacMillan and Workman Publishing.

This newest development for the iPad may cause some more issues for Amazon’s Kindle. The Kindle is equipped with an E-ink screen, which means that it cannot handle color. Apple’s iPad has been the preferred e-book reader by the majority of customers up to this point anyway, but this latest color development could cause even more distance between the sales numbers of the iPad and Kindle.

Apple’s new developments will most likely put some pressure on Amazon, and it could possibly result in a new color e-reader from the company.

Amazon has sold millions of Kindles, probably due to the E-ink screen featured on the device. The E-ink, backlit LCD screen featured on the Kindle makes it easy to read things on the tablet even in the bright sunlight, unlike the iPad and the Nook Color e-readers. Despite this great feature on the Kindle, they will definitely need to quickly look into developing a color e-book reader if they want to keep up with the other e-book readers available.

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CREATIVE ZIIO 10 ANDROID TABLET HITS FCC

The Creative ZiiO 10 Android tablet has hit the FCC. As the name itself suggests the ZiiO 10 has a 10 inch touchscreen display. The company's 7 inch tablet called Creative ZiiO 7 had hit the FCC a few weeks ago.Both tablets have more or less the same specifications. They are both powered by a ZMS-08 HD application processor. Other specifications include Creative X-Fi sound, WiFi 802.11b/g and

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OLIVETTI OLIPAD TABLET TO HAVE 10-INCH DISPLAY, ANDROID OS

Olivetti, the Italian company known for making typewriters and programmable calculators, has announced its plans to lauch a tablet. The machine will be called OliPad. Although, not a well known PC maker, Olivetti has also released some computers.The Olivetti Olipad is aimed at the enterprise market. It also has features that would attract the general public. The biggest USP of the tablet will be

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Safety Versus Security: We Want to Talk with You!

We invite you to participate in a wonderful learning conversation with our ninth grade honors classes on February 3, 2011. After studying the world of dystopian fiction through classics such as Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, George Orwell’s 1984 and the modern response, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, our students will engage in an intense discussion as their final project. We are inviting you to participate to help our students examine how these works play an enormous part in their world today through such relevant issues as Homeland Security, government censorship, information leaks, and safety versus security, to name just a few.

Our students will participate in a fishbowl discussion with live blogging and we will Ustream out the fishbowl discussion live so that you can hear the in-class discussion while participating in the live blogging.

This is what we need from you:

•Sign up on the wiki. You’ll notice that we’re asking you to indicate which side of the security versus privacy fence you lean toward. We know this is not a black-and-white issue, but in the attempt to get diverse voices with differing opinions into our discussion, we’re going to try to get folks on both “sides” of that fence. So please do your best to put yourself on one “side” or the other for this discussion to help us do that.

We are looking for at least 3-4 participants per class period. The classes meet for 59 minutes. You can certainly sign up for more than one class if you are interested.

Period 2: 8:25-9:24 am MST

Period 3: 9:29-10:30 am MST

Period 4: 10:35- 11:34 am MST

Period 5: 12:14-1:12 pm MST

•You do not have to have read all the texts to be a participant, but a quick review of the texts and a familiarization of the issues would be helpful to keep up with our kids.

Our goal is not necessarily a debate, but a learning conversation for all parties involved. We don't want a winning group and a losing group, but a healthy discussion where we all walk away having learned something new. Thanks for your interest! If this is not your cup of tea, please consider passing this along to someone who might be interested.

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Google Cr-48 Chrome Netbook

Just because the official release of the cloud-based Chrome OS is still months away, it hasn't stopped Google from launching a massive pilot program. This program offers specially-chosen end users, Google employees and journalists, their own prototype Chrome netbook known as the Cr-48. The sad thing is that these 12.1-inch laptops will never be sold commercially, but they do offer an extremely detailed preview of what can be expected from the very first Chrome systems that will be launched mid-2011.

The Cr-48's are not nor will they ever be available to consumers, so it is safe to say that the current design and hardware will more than likely not be exactly the same. On the other hand, there are several interesting things about these test products that may inspire things in the final product.

The Cr-48 is very similar in design to the MacBook. The chassis is rounded and shaped like one of the plastic MacBooks from the last generation and both devices have roughly the same keyboard size, shape and layout. Heck, even the hinges are similar. The chassis is made of a soft, black rubberized material which makes it comfortable to lay your wrists on it. The size is also very convenient coming in at 11.8 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches which makes it easy to fit in a carrying case or on your lap. However, the weight seems a bit heavy for the size ration as this device comes in weighing around 3.8 pounds.

The isolated layout of the keyboard offers you good feedback and key placement which makes typing extremely simple, but users will notice that the keyboard is void of any function keys. Instead, the Cr-48 has dedicated keys for forward, back, refresh, full screen mode, change windows, increase brightness, decrease brightness, mute, increase audio, decrease audio and power on/off. The caps lock key has also been replaced by a search button due to the fact that Google says they wish to "discourage all-caps typing."

The keyboard also has a bunch of shortcuts that you would typically see on the Windows version of Chrome. These shortcuts include things like CTRL + H for your browser history, CTRL + W to close a tab and CTRL +/- for zoom in and out. If you want to see a full list of these commands, all you have to do is hit CTRL + ALT + ?. You won't find any buttons on the touch pad. However, like a majority of netbooks on today's market, the touch pad itself is, in fact, a button. Many people do not like clicky touch pads, especially if they like to scroll with one finger and click with another.

The Cr-48 has a 12.1-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800. This, as many of you probably already know, is extremely rare on netbooks but is a more than welcome addition. It allows plenty of vertical screen space for easy viewing of web pages and the matte surface of the screen allows the Cr-48 to provide very strong viewing angles to the left and the right.

The Cr-48 doesn't have a lot of ports on it unlike other devices. The right side of the netbook has an SD card reader as well as an audio jack and USB port. The left side includes a VGA port. Storage devices and memory cards work for uploading files to the cloud but do little else. The USB port also supports wired and wireless mouses.

If Google isn't trustworthy, then I don't know who is because, true to their word, the initial setup of the Cr-48 takes only a minute. After powering on the device for the very first time, you are prompted to configure your internet connection by selecting a Wi-Fi network. After this, you are asked to agree to the Google EULA and then to login with a Google account. Then you are given the option to take a personal picture with the integrated webcam which will, if you desire, accompany your login.

The one problem many people are reporting with the login is that the device does not recognize any login that is not followed by @gmail.com. Even if you use any number of accounts that are registered with Google, the Cr-48 will not recognize them. So, if you do not have a valid Gmail account, then you have hit a dead end in the login prompt because creating one during setup is impossible. If this happens, then you may need to log on to another computer that is not a Chrome-OS device and create a Gmail account ending in @gmail.com.

Google is definitely trying to shake things up in the netbook market with this device. A netbook designed completely around Chrome is a bold attempt, but if any company can do it, I'd put my money on Google. I mean, it is only a matter of time before they take over the world.

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VIEWSONIC G-TABLET NOW UP FOR PURCHASE

The ViewSonic G-Tablet is a 10.1 inch tablet PC running Android 2.2 operating system.It is powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 platform with a dual core ARM Cortex A9 1GHz processor and GeForce graphics. There is also a dedicated 1080p HD video playback processor. Other specifications include 512MB DDR2 RAM, 16GB of internal Flash-based storage, Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11n, and a front facing 1.3 mega

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ACER ASPIRE ONE 721 UPGRADED WITH AMD K145 NILE PROCESSOR

AMD unveiled its Nile line of processors this summer. The AMD Nile processors are power efficient; they will not consume too much more power than the Intel Atom processor. What's more they deliver significantly better performance than Intel's Atom processors. And because these processors come bundled with the ATI Radeon 4225 graphics, they are also capable of handling HD video playback.The Nile

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BEST BUY NOW OFFERS THE DELL STREAK FOR $99.99; SAMSUNG LAUNCHES LUXURY EDITION OF GALAXY TAB

Best Buy is now offering the Dell Streak 5 inch Android tablet for $99.99 provided that you sign up for a 2 year service contract with AT&T. Interestingly, Best Buy had been charging $299.99 for the same tablet until now. So are Android tablets getting cheaper? Not really. While most Android tablets on the market are cheap, there are also a few that command premium price tags and these include

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MSI TO UNVEIL ITS WINDPAD TABLETS AT CES IN JANUARY

MSI will reportedly show off a 'new generation' of MSI WindPad tablets at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. MSI has been working on Android and Windows tablets for a while.The company did show off a few tablets at CES in 2010, but they didn't make it to the market. MSI hasn't revealed a lot of details about the new models, but sources claim that there will be at least two

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DELL PRECISION M4600 AND M6600 LEAK

Dell is reportedly working on two mobile workstations - the Precision M4600 and the Precision M6600. The Dell Precision M4600 has a 15.6 inch LED backlit display with optional touch screen functionality. It is expected to replace the M4500. The graphics options available with this laptop include the AMD FirePro M5950 (1GB GDDR5), NVIDIA Quadro 1000M (2GB GDDR5) and Quadro 2000M (2GB GDDR5).The

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MOTOROLA ANDROID 3.0 TABLET SPECS LEAK

Last week, Google's Android boss Andy Rubin demoed the Motorola tablet running Android 3.0. He didn't reveal a lot of details regarding the tablet's hardware. Motorola hasn't revealed anything either, but a certain member of the Mobile01 forum has posted detailed specs and some pictures of the tablet. Of course, we need to take these details with a grain of salt. According to him, the Motorola

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SHARP GALAPAGOS TABLETS NOW AVAILABLE IN JAPAN

Sharp has started shipping its Galapagos tablets in Japan. The tablets are now available for purchase at computer and electronics stores. There are two models - one sporting a 5.5 inch touchscreen display and the other sporting a 10.8 inch touchscreen display.Although both models run Android operating system, Sharp is positioning the devices as ebook readers. The company also offers ebooks,

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Chrome OS and Android

Some people may wonder what the difference is between Google’s Chrome OS devices and their Android devices. For the longest time, I really wasn’t exactly sure myself, but for right now, it seems that the biggest difference is simply a keyboard.

Google’s Chrome OS seems to definitely be much more directed at netbooks and notebooks, while Android seems to be much more useful for the company’s vision of tablets. Linus Upson, the engineer director of both Chrome OS and Android, said in an interview that the company views the Chrome OS as “very focused on laptops.” This statement basically means that devices with a keyboard will be receiving the new OS.

"From a Chrome OS perspective, we're open source, you can look at everything," continued Upson in the interview. "We've done a whole range of mockups across a wide range of form factors.

Continued here: What's the Difference Between Chrome OS and Android?

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LENOVO IDEAPAD Y560P AND Y460P LAPTOPS COMING NEXT MONTH

Lenovo has announced two new entertainment laptops - the IdeaPad Y560p and Y460p. Both models have Intel's next generation Sandy Bridge Core series processors and new storage features. The Press release states that the 15.6 inch IdeaPad Y560p and the 14 inch Y460p will be available with up to second generation Core i7 processors, up to 8GB of RAM and up to 750GB hard drive space. Other

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COMPAQ PRESARIO CQ62-209WM LAPTOP OVERVIEW

The HP Compaq Presario CQ62-209wm is one of the cheapest dual core 15.6-inch notebooks available in the U.S at the moment.It has a 2.1GHz AMD Athlon II dual core P320 processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 integrated graphics. Other specifications include 3GB of DDR3 RAM, a 250GB hard drive, DVD burner and a 6-cell battery.The Compaq Presario CQ62-209wm runs Windows 7 Home Premium operating

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GOOGLE'S CR-48 NOTEBOOK NOW SHIPPING TO BETA TESTERS

Google has started sending out demo units of its Cr-48 Chrome OS notebook to a select group of beta testers. The company unveiled the laptop a couple of days ago. Some of the beta testers who have received their units have already posted their first impressions and unboxing videos. Apparently the notebook has good build quality, but its battery doesn't sit flush with the bottom of the laptop.

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NOTION INK ADAM UP FOR PRE-ORDER; STARTS AT $375

If you have been waiting to pre-order Notion Ink Adam tablet we have some good news for you. The Indian startup has started taking pre-orders for its highly anticipated tablet. What's more, the tablet starts at just $375.33. Here is a quick run-down of the prices: * WiFi-only Adam tablet with standard LCD for $375.33 * 3G Adam tablet with standard LCD for $425.33 * WiFi-only Adam tablet

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SAMSUNG GLORIA 10 INCH WINDOWS TABLET WITH SLIDE-OUT KEYBOARD COMING?

Word is that Samsung is planning to launch a 10 inch tablet PC in March or April. Samsung has already sold over a million units of its 7 inch Android tablet called Galaxy Tab. Now that they have proved that they can indeed build and sell a tablet, they are keen on expanding their tablet lineup. The new model will reportedly run Windows 7. But that is not the most interesting thing about it.Plenty

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TOSHIBA TO LAUNCH TABLETS RUNNING WINDOWS 7, ANDROID AND GOOGLE CHROME

Toshiba isn't a new entrant to the tablet space. The company already sells an Android running 10 inch tablet called Toshiba Folio 100 in many countries. The Folio 100 may not have been just as successful as the Samsung Galaxy Tab or the legendary Apple iPad, but Toshiba is undeterred. Word is that the company is planning to expand its tablet line up. There will be three new models in all. Two of

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MEET CR-48: THE FIRST CHROME OS NETBOOK

Google has officially introduced the first netbook designed to run the upcoming Google Chrome operating system. The new Cr-48 is a 12 inch laptop with an Intel Atom processor. It isn't quite meant for the masses at the moment. Actually Google is planning to distribute a limited number of units to interested customers and businesses that will give feedback. To get a unit you need to apply to join

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TAIJI SHOWS OFF DUAL SCREEN WINDOWS TABLET WITH VIA PROCESSOR

Chinese computer maker Taiji Electronics has unveiled two new tablet-style computers. One of these machines called the Taiji T10A has a 10 inch touchscreen display, a 32GB SSD and a front-facing camera. It runs Windows 7 and is powered by a 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor and VX700 graphics processor.The second computer has a more interesting design. Actually it has dual 8 inch touchscreen displays. It

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ANDROID 3.0 DEMOED ON UPCOMING MOTOROLA TABLET

Google won't release Honeycomb aka Android 3.0 until next year, but the company's Android boss Andy Rubin demoed the OS on the upcoming Motorola tablet at an event yesterday.Although most tablets on the market run Android, Google has always maintained that Android in its present form is not quite suitable for tablets. The Android 3.0, on the other hand, is specially optimized for tablets which

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Mac App Store Opening December 13th?

One of the biggest things people love about the iPhone, iPad and even the iPad Touch is the fact that they can go online and add hundreds of thousands of apps to their device if they want to. By opening up the App store, they can add games, wallpapers, tools or just about anything you could imagine to their device with a touch of the screen.

Well, news has been cuirculating recently that Apple is going to open up its very own, personalized app store, and thanks to recent news from Appletell, we may be getting the store sooner than we expected, a lot sooner.

According to Appletell, an inside source has claimed that Apple is targeting a Monday, December 13th launch of their Mac App Store. Apple supposedly told developers for apps featured on the Mac App Store to have their products ready to go as soon as December 6th, but that doesn't seem likely.

As for Apple, the company has yet to make any official announcement about this early release of the Mac App Store, and there is always the threat of delays. However, there has seemed to be a push to get the app store out before Christmas, which is well ahead of the previously stated January release date.

According to Appletell, the push is coming from none other than Steve Jobs himself. It was reported that Jobs wanted to go sooner than December 6th, but that obviously didn't happen. Nevertheless, Apple does seem to be way ahead of schedule on the Mac App Store.

Trying to hit the rush is a good idea, but many people are wondering how a digital software system will work as a Christmas present. Gift cards for the Mac App store are said to be coming out with the launch, which will make an excellent last second gift.

It is still very unclear if Apple will hit their target of a December 13th release date, or if this is actually true at all. If it is, and the company does meet their deadline, then there are going to be a lot of happy Mac fans come this holiday season.

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RIM SHOWS OFF BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK UI

RIM's PlayBook tablet is not yet ready to ship, but the company has been showing off early prototypes for a while. Last week, Canadian wireless carrier Rogers announced its plans to offer the tablet and now some videos showing the tablet in action have emerged. We have already seen that the PlayBook can multitask like a champ. It can, for instance, run HD video in the background while you are

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GOOGLE LAUNCHES GOOGLE EBOOKS ONLINE BOOKSTORE

Google has launched a new online bookstore called Google eBooks and a series of apps designed to let you read eBooks on Android devices,iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or almost any computer with a web browser. You can download eBooks from Google eBooks as ePUB files with Adobe DRM which means that you can read them on a number of devices such as Barnes & Noble Nook and Sony Readers.Google has been

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DELL INSPIRON DUO KNOCKOFF SPOTTED IN CHINA

The Dell Inspiron Duo isn't the first convertible tablet style netbook, but it is the first convertible with a flipping bezel. The Duo hasn't started shipping yet, but ever since Dell introduced the concept, it has been getting a lot of attention. And now the tiny netbook has inspired a knockoff.A Chinese computer that looks somewhat like the Inspiron Duo has been spotted in the wild. This

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NVIDIA GEFORCE GT 540M LAPTOP GRAPHICS RELEASED

Nvidia has launched the GeForce GT 540M, which is the company’s first GeForce 500M series graphics for laptops.According to Nvidia, the mid-range GeForce GT 540M “delivers a significant increase in fill-rate and memory bandwidth”, while staying as power efficient as previous generation chips. The GPU is based on 40nm production process and has 96 processor cores and a 128-bit memory interface

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ASUS LAMBORGHINI EEE PC VX6 ULTRAPORTABLE GOES ON SALE IN THE US

The Asus Lamborghini VX6 has gone of sale in the US. Co-designed by Asus and car maker Lamborghini, the VX6 is a stylish laptop with a 12.1 inch display. It is powered by a 1.83GHz dual core Atom D525 processor which is usually found in nettops. Needless to say, it is faster than the dual core Atom N550 netbook processor. Other specifications include NVIDIA ION 2 graphics with Optimus automatic

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MEET EMACHINES EME528-2012 SUB-$400 15.6 INCH LAPTOP

Black Friday is over but that doesn't mean that you can't find good deals on laptops now. Plenty of budget laptops are still available. The eMachines eME528-2012 is one of them. It is actually one of the best selling laptops at Walmart. It has a sub-$400 price tag, a 15.6 inch display, an Intel Celeron 900 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. Other specifications include Intel GMA 4500M

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ASUS U36JC-A1 ULTRAPORTABLE LAPTOP UP FOR PRE-ORDER

Excaliber PC has started taking pre-orders for the Asus U36 ultraportable notebook in the US. This machine was introduced a couple of days ago.The model - U36JC-A1 - that is currently up for order has a 2.53GHz dual core standard voltage Core i5-460M processor and NVIDIA Optimus enabled GeForce G310M (1GB video RAM) discrete graphics. Other specifications include 4GB of RAM, a 500GB, 7200rpm hard

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SONY LAUNCHES BEST BUY EXCLUSIVE BLUE LABEL VAIO VPCS131FM/S

Sony has made another addition to the Best Buy exclusive Blue Label VAIO S 13.3 inch laptop series. The new model called VAIO VPCS131FM/S has a faster processor and a larger hard drive than its predecessor called VAIO VPCS111FM/S. It also has WiMAX and a longer battery life. The Sony VAIO VPCS131FM/S is powered by an Intel Core i5-460M processor clocking at 2.53GHz. It has a 640GB hard drive and

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GOOLE TO UNVEIL THE CHROME OS NETBOOK THIS WEEK?

Google could unveil its Chrome OS netbook on December 7th. The company is holding a press event in San Francisco on December 7 and is expected to reveal more details regarding the upcoming Chrome operating system and the rumored Chrome netbook.Google has been working on the Chrome OS for almost one year. It is a light weight operating system built around a web browser. Because it is lightweight,

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MOTOROLA WORKING ON 7 INCH AND 10 INCH TABLETS

Just about everybody is building a tablet these days and Motorola is no different. The company is working on a tablet, actually two tablets. These machines could run Google Android or Chrome operating system.While we still don't know detailed specs of the Motorola tablet, word is that there will be two models - one with a 7 inch display and the other with a 10 inch display.Much like the HP Slate

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FIRST LOOK AT THE EXOPC WINDOWS TABLET

The ExoPC is a Windows 7 tablet PC featuring a unique user interface designed to make Windows easier to use with your fingertips.The computer has an 11.6 inch capacitive touchscreen display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor. Other specifications include 2GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD. The tablet seems to have excellet build quality. The

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TOSHIBA LAUNCHES THE NB500 NETBOOK

It looks like the NB520 isn't the only 10 inch netbook Toshiba introduced yesterday. This model has a lesser cousin called NB500. The Toshiba NB500 has the same case design as the NB520. Both models are also available with colorful lid options. But while the NB520 is pricey and has some premium features including a dual core Atom processor and Harman Kardon speakers, the NB500 has pretty regular

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CTL INTRODUCES 2GOPAD SL10 PRO WINDOWS 7 TABLET PC

The CTL 2GoPad SL10 is a 10 inch Windows tablet that was well received by both users and reviewers. The machine is powered by an Intel Atom N450 processor. It has a capacitive touchscreen display and nice build quality. The 2GoPad SL10 is currently shipping, but the truth is that the company is having a tough time keeping it in stock.Now CTL has introduced yet another tablet. This machine called

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HP SLATE 500 WINDOWS TABLET NOW SHIPPING

The HP Slate 500 Windows 7 tablet PC has reportedly started shipping. HP isn't positioning its tablet as an iPad competitor. Rather, the company is targeting business users. The HP Slate 500 runs Windows 7 Professional and is capable of handling a variety of Windows apps. The tablet has a capacitive touchscreen and an active digitizer for pen input. While detailed reviews of the tablet are not

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ADOBE FLASH PLAYER 10.2 BETA VERSION LAUNCHED

A public beta version of Adobe Flash Player 10.2 is now available for download. The new version supports Adobe's new Stage Video API which provides better support for hardware video acceleration. What this means is that if your GPU supports the new version of Flash player, you will be able to watch HD videos without straining your CPU.Of course, netbooks with integrated graphics will not be able

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TOSHIBA RELEASES AUDIO-CENTRIC NB520 NETBOOK

Toshiba has unveiled a new netbook called the NB520. This machine features a dual core processor and a pair of Harman Kardon speakers built into the palm rest. The Toshiba NB520 is powered by a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor. Other specifications include 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive and Windows 7 Starter operating system. The netbook is available in brown, lime green, sunlight copper and

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ASUS ANNOUNCES U36 ULTRAPORTABLE

Asus has announced a new ultraportable notebook called U36. The Asus U36 has a 13.3 inch LED backlit display. It is powered by an Intel Core i5-460M processor and NVIDIA GeForce 310M discrete grahics with 1GB of dedicated video memory. Other specifications include 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 500GB, 7200 rpm hard drive, an HDMI port and one USB 3.0 port.The Asus U36 runs Windows 7 Home Premium. It supports

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