The chip will supposedly replace the Core i7-640UM, and be paired with 800MHz DDR3 memory and of course have onboard graphics support.  TDP is supposedly just 18W – when at 1.33GHz, of course – and the regular 166MHz graphics frequency can be cranked up to 500MHz.  The potential is for an ultraportable machine that can idle along quite nicely in a reasonably frugal manner, and then be flicked into a performance notebook through overclocking.

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Over at Gizmodo one reader – Adam Pattee – has sent in a copy of his shipping email.  His 27-inch iMac was ordered on January 29th, and is apparently set to leave the depot on February 9th; actual delivery is expected to take place roughly a week after.  Hopefully when it arrives it’s showing none of the screen yellowing or other issues some users have reportedly been plagued with.

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On top of that there’s a choice of 7,200rpm, 10,000rpm or MLC SSD storage, with optional RAID 0 or 1 setups.  Connectivity includes gigabit ethernet, audio in/out and eight USB 2.0 ports, along with optional eSATA and FireWire.  Lenovo will pre-load Windows 7 Professional 64, but you can also have the 32-bit version, Windows XP x64 or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.

No sign of preorders being taken as yet, but that will apparently kick-off midway through this month.  Pricing is from $599, but don’t expect that to get you a Core i3 or i5 machine, or much in the way of memory.

Press Release:

Lenovo Combines Workstation Performance with Unprecedented Price in New ThinkStation Workstation

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – February 9, 2010: Lenovo (HKSE:992) (ADR:LNVGY)today announced the ThinkStation E20, the first in a new series of entry level workstations. Starting under $6001 the new E20 offers professionals working in computer aided design (CAD) and digital content creation (DCC) fields the performance they need at an extremely affordable price. The E20 also sets a high bar for green design by using more than 50 percent recycled plastic content.

“We’ve found there are a number of CAD and DCC professionals who are currently getting by on desktop PC hardware due to budget constraints,” said, Mark Cohen, vice president, Enterprise Products, Lenovo. “They’re running workstation-class applications and could benefit from using true workstation hardware. We designed the ThinkStation E20 with these users in mind to put true workstation performance within their reach and enable them to realize significant productivity gains associated with using the right tool for the job.”

Price and Performance
With models starting under $6001, the E20 offers workstation-class performance at desktop-level prices. It comes equipped with:
Choice of the latest Intel Core i3 and i5 Processors as well as Pentium and Xeon 3400 Series Processors
Choice of independent software vendor (ISV) certified graphics solutions – Intel Core HD graphics or NVIDIA Quadro discrete graphics up to the FX1800
Support for Error Correcting Code DDR3 memory
Certifications from leading ISVs like Autodesk, Siemens and Dassault Systemes

“Users can experience certified, tested and optimized workstation solutions at near PC prices with the Lenovo ThinkStation E20 workstation, based on the Intel® Xeon® 3400 processor series or the Intel® Core™ HD graphics,” said Anthony Neal Graves, general manager, Workstation Group, Intel. “Users who once relied on high-end desktops now can benefit from a real workstation experience.”

Built for a Greener Environment
The ThinkStation E20 leads the PC industry in its use recycled plastics. More than 50 percent of the plastic content comes from post-consumer recycled materials. Additionally, it achieves a Gold-rating by the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool and is GREENGUARD certified for its environmental attributes. The E20 also meets the high energy efficiency criteria for Energy Star 5.0 and features an 80 Plus Bronze Power Supply.

Pricing and Availability2
The ThinkStation E20 workstation will be available in mid-February with models starting at approximately $599. The workstation will be sold through Lenovo business partners and www.lenovo.com. For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.

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The TI WiLink 7.0 squeezes WiFi a/b/g/n, FM transmit/receive, Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS onto a chip that’s 50-percent smaller than current alternatives and – perhaps more importantly – uses 30-percent less power.  That adds up to smaller, longer lasting mobile devices, and devices that have better use of their wireless connectivity.  As TI explained to us, when you’re using separate components there’s a limit to the amount of interconnectivity between them; if you combine them into one chip, meanwhile, things like power-management and intelligent usage profiles become possible.

We’ll have to wait a while to see the first commercial products using the Texas Instruments WiLink 7.0, however; while the chip is sampling now to OEMs, products aren’t expected until the end of the year.

Press Release:

Texas Instruments delivers industry’s first quad-radio single chip

TI raises the bar with WiLink™ 7.0 solution, integrating WLAN, GPS, Bluetooth® and FM transmit/receive technologies on a true single-chip

DALLAS (February 9, 2010) – Demonstrating its leadership in the wireless connectivity market, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today unveiled its WiLink™ 7.0 single-chip solution, the industry’s first offering to integrate WLAN 802.11n, GPS, FM transmit/receive and Bluetooth® technologies. Integrating these capabilities on a true single chip, the 65-nanomenter WiLink 7.0 solution reduces costs by 30 percent, reduces size by 50 percent and delivers superior coexistence performance as compared to today’s existing solutions. Built on seven generations of proven technologies and legacy software, this single-chip solution further extends TI’s heritage of bringing technologies previously seen in high-end devices to the broad mobile market. The WiLink 7.0 solution will be showcased during Mobile World Congress 2010 in the TI booth (8A84, Hall 8). For more information, visit www.ti.com/wilink7pr.

“TI’s announcement that its Bluetooth/FM/GPS/WLAN combination IC is sampling to major OEMs marks the first of its kind, demonstrating the strong future for combination ICs that enable device manufacturers to offer multiple radios without sacrificing performance, space requirements or profit margins,” said Lisa Arrowsmith, analyst, IMS Research. “IMS Research forecasts that by 2013, more than 4.5 billion combination ICs featuring a variety of radios will have been shipped.”

Key feature Benefits
————————————————————————
Unique — Hardware mechanisms cancel out board- and
coexistence chip-level RF interference at the source to
capabilities simplify design process

– Enhanced WiFi/Bluetooth/Bluetooth Low Energy
inter-core communication prioritizes packet
scheduling, supports more connections in parallel
————————————————————————
High-performance
GPS core — Best-in-class 3GPP test performance

– Multi-path resolution engine coupled with
advanced algorithms reduces interference impact
for more accurate positioning in urban canyons

– On-chip position engine simplifies
integration with device host processor

– Supports reduced power consumption during
tracking

– Host-independent location buffering and geo-
fencing features further reduce host loading and
power consumption
————————————————————————
Powerful
Bluetooth core — Best-in-class RF performance

– Dedicated audio processor system-on-chip

– Supports latest Bluetooth low-energy and
Bluetooth 3.0 specifications

– Extensible to support additional protocols
————————————————————————
Robust Wi-Fi core — Supports the soon-to be ratified WiFi Direct™
and Soft AP mode capabilities, extensible to
support additional protocols

– Supports 802.11 a/b/g/n capabilities
————————————————————————
FM core — Increased output power for FM transmit combined
with highly sensitive FM receive delivers cleaner
FM experience

– Supports internal antenna
————————————————————————

“As the first company to put the power of GPS, WLAN, Bluetooth and FM technologies on a single chip, we are excited to have solved some of the market’s most complex coexistence challenges,” said Haviv Ilan, vice president and general manager, wireless connectivity solutions, TI. “This type of innovation builds on our strong heritage in the wireless market and commitment to spearhead next-generation advancements. With its ability to support simultaneous use of all four radios, the WiLink 7.0 solution will truly revolutionize the way people interact with their devices and connect to the larger world.”

Availability

The WiLink 7.0 solution is sampling to major OEMs today. Devices using the WiLink 7.0 solution are expected to enter the market by the end of 2010.

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What we do get to see is the apparent pressure and/or angle sensitivity, which makes for more natural handwriting, and a finger-friendly photo gallery app.  All of it looks pretty similar to the demo video for the T91, ASUS’s 8.9-inch touchscreen netbook.

[via NetbookChoice]

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NVIDIA has debuted new Optimus tech that takes over the task of choosing what GPU to use and switches between the two automatically depending on what is needed at the time. The machine will know when you stop writing that email, switch to playing your favorite PC game, and change the GPU used without you even having to think about it.

NVIDIA claims that the new tech will work with the new Intel Core 2010 line of processors as well as the Pineview Atom parts that are prolific in netbooks and nettops. NVIDIA GPUs that support the new Optimus tech include the GeForce 200M, 300M, and next-generation GeForce M and Ion GPU families. The first laptops to use the Optimus tech are expected in March from Asus.

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It’s the more comprehensive sibling to the standard GuruPlug Server, which gets two USB 2.0 ports and a single ethernet connection, as well as no memory card slot.  Both have a 1.2GHz processor with 512MB of RAM and various tinker-friendly ports.

The Globalscale GuruPlug Server Plus is available for preorder now, at $129, with deliveries expected to take place from April 2010.  As for the basic GuruPlug Server, that’s $99 and will also begin shipping in April.

[via Hack a Day]

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The system is called the InFocus DisplayLink Wireless system. It includes a USB transmitter that connects to the computer and a USB receiver that plugs into the back of compatible InFocus projectors. The system eliminates the need for different adapters to send video from the MacBook or PC to the projector.

The system lets Mac or PC systems send video and audio to the projector using a single USB port. The device has a wireless range of 30 feet and supports resolutions up to 2048 x 1152 and 720p HD video. I am betting the system uses the same chips inside as the DisplayDock I mentioned before.

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Wisair has announced that four different OEM vendors will be rolling out a new Wireless USB DisplayDock solution for Mac computers in March. The docks will allow Mac users to connect their MacBook computers to external monitors, speakers, keyboard, and a mouse without having to fiddle with any wires.

The system requires no video output connections to the MacBook and handles all the video and other connectivity with only a USB dongle having to be connected to the notebook. The system will work with all Mac platforms and uses 128-bit security to protect transmissions. The system supports video resolution up to 1440 x 1050 and has a wireless range of 30 feet.

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The new processors have four cores and can execute eight threads per core when using Intel Hyper-Threading technology. Intel also gave the new line more cache and up to 800% more interconnected bandwidth. Intel also claims that the new line has 500% more memory bandwidth and 700% more memory capacity when using standard DDR3 RAM.

The line uses the second generation Intel Virtualization Technology for improved performance and the Intel 7500 chipset can directly assign I/O devices to virtual machines. Intel also talked a bit about the next Itanium processor codenamed Poulson featuring an advanced multi-core architecture, instruction-level enhancements and more. The new Itanium 9300 series processors range in price from $946 to $3,838 in quantities of 1000 and should ship in the next 90 days.

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Brushes allows for instant editing and touching-up of photos without the need to boot up Photoshop, and there are 15 tools – including Dodge, Burn, Polarize and Blur – with which to make minor adjustments.  Aperture 3 is available for $199 outright or as a $99 upgrade from previous versions; there’s also a 30-day trial available to download.

Handy as the new app might be, we’re hoping Aperture 3 isn’t the only new thing Apple have on the cards today.  At time of writing the Apple Store is still down for updating, so we’ll keep an eye out for anything else new.

Update: Looks like that’s all we’re getting today; the Apple Store is back online but there’s no sign of anything else new apart from Aperture 3.  Guess we’ll have to wait a little longer for the Core i7 MacBook Pros…

Press Release:

Apple Releases Aperture 3

New Features Include Faces, Places & Brushes

CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today introduced Aperture(TM) 3, the next major release of its powerful photo editing and management software, with over 200 new features including Faces, Places and Brushes. Building on the innovative Faces and Places features introduced in iPhoto® ‘09, Aperture 3 makes it even easier and faster to organize large photo libraries. Aperture 3 introduces new tools to refine your photos including Brushes for painting image adjustments onto parts of your photo, and Adjustment Presets for applying professional photo effects with just one click. Stunning new slideshows let you share your work by weaving together photos, audio, text and HD video.

“Millions of people love using iPhoto to organize, edit and share their digital photos,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Aperture 3 is designed for both professionals who edit and manage massive libraries of photos and iPhoto users who want to take their photos further with easy-to-use tools such as Brushes and Adjustment Presets.”

“Aperture 3 gets it right,” said National Geographic photographer, Jim Richardson. “The image editing tools are exactly what I have been asking for, they’re so easy to use and give me a level of control that I never even thought possible.”

“I chose Aperture because it was the most powerful archiving application around, but it’s now an unbelievable imaging tool as well,” said Bill Frakes, Sports Illustrated staff photographer. “I am beyond impressed with the massive changes made in Aperture 3.”

Aperture 3 allows you to organize large photo libraries with even more flexibility using Projects and the new Faces and Places. Faces uses face detection and recognition to find and organize your photos by the people in them. You can view faces across your entire photo library or view just the faces that appear in selected projects. In a new view that speeds up the organization process, Aperture 3 displays faces that have been detected but haven’t yet been named. Places lets you explore your photos based on where they were taken, and like in iPhoto, Places automatically reverse geocodes GPS data into user-friendly locations. In Aperture 3, you can assign locations by dragging-and-dropping photos onto a map or by using location information from GPS enabled cameras, tracking devices or your iPhone® photos.

The new Brushes feature allows you to add professional touches to your photos by simply painting effects onto the image. Aperture 3 includes 15 Quick Brushes that perform the most popular tasks like Dodge, Burn, Polarize and Blur, without the complexity of layers or masks. Brushes can automatically detect edges in your images to let you apply or remove effects exactly where you want them. Aperture 3 includes dozens of Adjustment Presets that apply a specific style or look to the entire image with just a click. You can create your own custom presets or explore the techniques of other photographers by importing theirs.

Aperture 3 makes it easy to share your work with stunning slideshows that weave together photos, audio, text and HD video. You can select one of six Apple designed themes or choose your own transitions, background, borders and titles, and even add your own soundtrack. You can export your slideshows directly to iTunes® to take with you on your iPhone or iPod touch®. You can also share photographs as beautiful prints, create custom-designed hardcover books and publish to online photo sharing sites like Facebook and Flickr, right from Aperture 3.

Pricing & Availability

Aperture 3 is available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) and existing Aperture users can upgrade for a suggested retail price of $99 (US). A downloadable 30-day trial version is available at www.apple.com/aperture/trial. Aperture 3 runs as a 64-bit application on Mac OS® X Snow Leopard® on Macs with Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Full system requirements, online tutorials and more information on Aperture 3 can be found at www.apple.com/aperture.

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Kyocera’s base station weighs less than 26.5 pounds and has a volume of 12 liters with 8 watts of transmit power, those figures are a fraction of typical base stations according to Kyocera. The device is designed to fill gaps in coverage areas and overloaded hot spots with the ability to cooperate with existing macro base stations in a scalable heterogeneous network.

Also being demonstrated at MWC by Kyocera will be its larger 39.7-pound macro base station with a volume of 20 liters and consuming no more than 211 watts of power. Kyocera claims that the specifications for its macro base station are significantly less than other similar devices on the market.

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Rambus claims that the Mobile XDR memory has a throughput of 4.3Gbps per pin with power efficiency that is unrivaled today. SoC platforms are able to achieve more than 17GB/s of memory bandwidth from a single Mobile XDR DRAM device while extending battery life for many mobile products by over 30 minutes according to Rambus.

Rambus reports that the performance is achievable thanks to a decrease in active power use coupled with fast transition times into power-saving modes. The memory is designed to allow portable devices to support a range of high bandwidth applications from voice calls to stereoscopic 3D HD video. Rambus’ Mobile XDR platform is available for licensing now and there is no word on when we will see products using the new memory on the market.

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The projector has the Texas Instruments DLP DarkChip with BrilliantColor and is capable of showing more than 1 billion colors. It also features a Pixelworks DNX 10-bit video processor with support for refresh rates up to 120Hz. Resolution for the SP8602 is up to 1080p and it has several features that make finding a mounting location easier. The maximum contrast ratio is 30,000:1 and it has 1300 lumens of brightness.

The lens is centered and has manual shift of +5% to -30% in the vertical plane and +/- 15% horizontally. The projector is capable of throwing an image up to 300-inches wide and it features image warping to adjust the picture for ideal visuals on surfaces that aren’t perfect. The projector also has optional skins to change the color to match the room décor and one skin is paintable. InFocus is still mum on the pricing leaving the cost up to its dealer network.

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The APU will feature a DirectX 11 compatible GPU with a quartet of out-of-order CPU cores shoehorned into a 32nm processor die. AMD is withholding the full details on the GPU side of the new Llano processor and is focusing on the CPU end of the design.

The CPU uses a 32nm SOI high-K process and has new power gating and dynamic power optimization capabilities. Each of the four cores inside the CPU has 35 million transistors and 1MB of L2 cache. The CPU will operate at less than 3GHz and AMD is aiming for power consumption in the 2.5W to 25W range. According to AMD, Llano APUs will be shipping in the second half of the year and be offered by OEMs in 2011.

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The giant display has a screen measuring 70-inches and is designed to operate continuously. The huge screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a contrast ratio of 2000:1. The screen has a typical brightness of 420 cd/m2 and a maximum brightness of 600 cd/m2. NEC builds thermal protection and internal temperature sensors in to prevent damage caused by overheating.

A sealed design helps the screen survive environments with dust, grease, or steam and the display has a built-in expansion slot. Other features include a real-time clock and a scheduler that will shut the display down when it’s not needed to save power. A version of the P701 with a TV tuner called the P701-AVT will be offered as well. Both versions of the display will ship in March with the non-tuner version selling for $11,799.

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The little device has a touchscreen and can browse the millions of Wikipedia entries covering a myriad of topics form text only archived copies of Wikipedia entries stored on microSD cards. The company behind the WikiReader is Openmoko and the firm has announced the Spring 2010 update for the WikiReader.

The update adds new Wikipedia entries to the WikiReader database and improves on the functionality of the device. The on-screen keypad is improved with an animated key feature when keys are pressed similar to how the iPhone keyboard works. The update also improves navigation and makes scrolling smoother. One of the most requested features was also added to the update — a back button to return to previous articles. The update is available for download at no charge or the update can be had on two microSD cards for $29.

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The device is designed for the user who has a notebook or a desktop computer that they want to connect to the HDTV in the living room that is lacking an HDMI output. The converter is powered by the PC USB port so there is no power adapter to find an outlet for. The adapter takes the audio and video from the host PC and converts it to an HDMI signal.

The audio and video can then be sent to the big screen in the living room at resolutions up to 1080p. The adapter is a scaler and converter allowing it to work without any adjustments to the video card of the host computer. Resolutions of up to 1920 x 1200 are supported and Atlona ships the converter with a 6-foot HDMI cable. The AT-HDVieW is set to ship on February 22 for $119.

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Format support is pretty vast, and includes XviD (SD/HD), MPEG-1, MPEG-1/2(MP@HL), MPEG-4.2 (ASP@L5, 720P, 1Pt. GMC) WMV9 (MP@HL), H.264 (BP@L3, MP@L4.0, HP@L4.0 & L4.1), VC-1 (MP@HL, AP@L3), MKV, AVI, VOB, ISO, IFO, DVR-MS, ASF (WMV), MOV (MP4 codec) and DAT, and that’s just the video formats. There’s also a fulsome list of audio and image file types the EM7075-DTS can handle; you can check it out here.

The Eminent EM7075-DTS is available now, priced at £119.99/€139.95 ($187).  Our only concern is that the ASUS O!Play Air HDP-R3, announced yesterday, also supports DTS and 1080p, but has an integrated WiFi-N connection for roughly the same price.  Still, the Eminent mediaplayer does have a standalone file download/BitTorrent manager.

Press Release:

Eminent presents HD media player EM7075 with DTS audio

Eminent HD media player EM7075-DTS supports DTS audio on TV

Supplier of ICT accessories Eminent extends its HD media player EM7075 with DTS. The new Eminent HD media player EM7075-DTS allows to playback movies with DTS audio on TV. This all round HD media player with DTS supports HD video files like MKV.

The Eminent EM7075-DTS hdMEDIA STREAM DTS Edition is the successor of the HD media player EM7075. The new HD media player plays back DTS audio directly on TV – it is not necessary to use a DTS decoder. Connect the EM7075-DTS to a TV to play HD video files, like MKV (Matroska) and H.264, with optimal sound quality. The full list of supported video files and audio codecs is available at http://www.eminent-online.com/hdmedia/codecs02.php.

Equipped with DTS audio the EM7075-DTS hdMEDIA STREAM is a very complete HD media player. Connect a USB hard disk to play movies, pictures and music on TV. A network connection allows to access all multimedia files on computers in the home network. As a result, the EM7075-DTS plays movies from a PC or laptop on TV. Eminent contracted the designer of Project Mayhem to create a clear and attractive user interface (see http://www.eminent-online.com/hdmedia/interface02.php). This all round Eminent HD media player supports resolutions up to 1080P on a full HD TV.

Eminent has a strong reputation in building HD media players in The Netherlands. Back in 2008 the Dutch brand Eminent launched its first Network Media Tank (NMT) EM7070 hdMEDIA. In 2009 Eminent presented the HD media player EM7075 with the next generation Sigma Designs processor SMP8655. Eminent now extends this widely discussed HD media player with DTS audio support. For an overview of Dutch press coverage about Eminent HD media players visit http://www.eminent-online.com/hdmedia/press02.php.

The Eminent EM7075-DTS hdMEDIA STREAM DTS Edition is now available in the UK at Amazon.co.uk. It has a recommended retail price of GBP 122.00 (139.95 euro). Eminent offers 5 year warranty and an accessible helpdesk.

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Meanwhile we’ve already seen leaked Geekbench benchmarking results for what appears to be an Intel Core i7 MacBook Pro.  A new MBP with Intel’s fastest Core i7 chips has been rumored for some time, though we’ve also heard talk of a Core i5 option for more affordable versions.

Ironically, MacWorld 2010 is about to kick off, and this marks the first year that Apple aren’t holding a keynote there.  We’ll be keeping an eye on the Apple Store to see when it returns and what new goodness they might have on offer.

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As for that single button, usually it controls power but, when held down, it adjusts the volume – you hold the TicToc upside down to reduce volume, or the right way up to increase it.  No display (nor anything like Apple’s VoiceOver track announcement) but the presumption is that with only 2GB or 4GB of memory you probably won’t need it.  MP3, WMA, OGG and FLAC tracks are supported, and battery life is up to 12hrs; Samsung have also produced a little docking station to recharge and sync the PMP.  Look for the Samsung TicToc later in 2010, price to be announced.

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The GD880 also squeezes in WiFi and there’s an A-GPS chip inside the aluminum casing too, but other than that LG aren’t being especially forthcoming with their information.  Yesterday’s leak suggested the touchscreen runs at 480 x 854 resolution, but we’ll have to wait for a full spec sheet to know everything for certain.

What seems likely is that the LG Mini GD880 is running the company’s own OS with their oft-frustrating S-Class UI on top.  Still, you do get easy uploads to various social networks, together with integration of Facebook and Twitter into a homescreen widget as well as the address book.

No word on pricing, but the LG Mini is apparently set to arrive in Europe come March 2010 before other markets.

Press Release:

Great Things Come In Small Packages With New Mini Phone From LG

Seoul (Korea Newswire) February 09, 2010 11:01 AM — LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, today announced its new LG GD880, or LG Mini, a new phone that accentuates its trendsetting design with a full complement of intelligent features.

LG Mini is the smallest and slimmest 3.2-inch full touchscreen phone on the market today, making it the perfect handset for people who want all the communication features that today’s technology has to offer without the bulk and heft of a traditional fully-loaded handset.

“We developed the LG Mini in response to specific requests from actual consumers who were unhappy with current full touchscreen phones that are too bulky, too clunky and too expensive,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The easily pocketable LG Mini delivers great looks at a reasonable price, along with the trendy features that people want.”

Thanks to a slim, compact form factor made from the highest quality materials, the LG Mini easily slides in a shirt pocket or small handbag while still feeling reassuringly solid to the touch. Textured metal accents on the sides of the LG Mini add to the phone’s eye-catching looks without detracting from its overall simplicity. On the front, a large 3.2 inch touchscreen with an aspect ration of 16:9 extends all the way to the edge of the phone, giving it a finish that is as smooth as ice. In addition, a button-free face keeps the LG Mini simple and sleek.

But the LG Mini has much more than just great looks. Besides a raft of staple features such as speedy web browsing and fast push email, the LG Mini also includes several unique aspects, including Social Network Connect, which makes keeping in touch with online friends even easier than on a desktop PC. Popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are instantly accessible through built-in applications and a Social Network Feed provides instant and automatic updates of friends and family members on the home screen. Updates also appear next to each contact in the Social Address Book.

What’s more, the LG Mini boasts a 5.0 megapixel camera featuring advanced face detection which allows uploading of sharp, vivid pictures and videos wirelessly to multiple social networks in one simple step. The device also plays music and movies in several popular file formats and even includes an FM radio.

With HSDPA connectivity at 7.2 Mbps and Wi-Fi, the LG Mini can browse the internet at high speed and also provide real-time location information using A-GPS.

The LG Mini will be available in Europe starting in March, followed by other markets. Prices will vary country-to-country and will be announced separately in each market.

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From the sound of things, that means a 1,000 run with an option on increasing that to 4,000.  Apparently the first batch of preorders are all sold – more details on how to order here – but there’s a second batch in the offing too.  Of course, there’ll also be some delay as the cases are produced, shipped to the US and then re-shipped to buyers, but considering there were various rumors about the project never making it to this point, it’s an achievement.

As for the gaming hardware itself, it’s capable of running Quake at 60fps and will be compatible with USB 3G modems for mobile network gaming.  It has a WVGA display and boasts over 10hrs of battery life, all in something a little larger than a Nintendo DS.

[via CrunchGear]

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That all makes it pretty much ideal for an HTPC, especially since the card supports not only HDMI but DVI and VGA outputs.  Still, AMD reckon you’ll be able to do some gaming, too; the HD 5570 apparently offers a 60-percent performance boost over its closest competitor.

This is certainly the intermediary card tipped to slot in-between the ATI Radeon HD 5450 announced earlier this week and the previous HD 5670, coming in at around $80.  TechSpot, HardOCP and Tom’s Hardware have all reviewed the new card, and the general consensus is that while it offers a neat boost over the HD 5450, current online pricing for the HD 5670 place it only $10-20 more.  Given that low difference, the ATI Radeon HD 5570 slots itself into a particularly small niche.

Press Release:

ATI Radeon™ HD 5570 Graphics Brings a Big Visual Experience to Small Form Factor PCs

The newest addition to the AMD graphics family strengthens the world’s only complete line-up of award-winning DirectX® 11 capable graphics cards, delivering exceptional HD multimedia and gaming performance at a mainstream price

SUNNYVALE, Calif. —2/9/2010
AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced the ATI Radeon™ HD 5570 graphics card, perfect for end-users seeking an energy efficient, low-profile DirectX® 11 card for small form factor PCs. The ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card joins the award-winning line of AMD graphics that fully support DirectX 11, as well as ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology1 and ATI Stream capabilities.2 This latest offering completes a full DirectX 11 refresh of AMD discrete graphics products, bringing customers a choice of cutting-edge graphics cards to match every budget and form factor.

“AMD recognizes that small form factor PCs are becoming more popular and low profile graphics upgrade options have been limited to date,” said Matt Skynner, vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics Division. “Customers purchasing small form factor PCs are looking for improved performance while gaming, watching HD video or working with the latest productivity applications. The ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card delivers all of this at a price that won’t break the bank.”

In addition to ATI Eyefinity and DirectX 11 support, the ATI Radeon HD 5570 also delivers full 1080p HD playback3 and supports ATI Stream technology,2 helping to boost performance for video playback and productivity applications, all while enabling a full Microsoft Windows® 7 experience.4

A sleek, energy efficient PC based on ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics, combined with new AMD Phenom™ II X4 905e processors at 65W and AMD 7-series chipsets, can power immersive gaming and vivid digital entertainment. These platforms are an excellent choice for system builders and home theater enthusiasts seeking Eye-Definition entertainment.

Advanced performance, affordable price: The ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card provides great game play in DirectX® 11 titles such as Codemaster’s Colin McRae™: DiRT® 2™, EA Phenomic’s BattleForge™ , GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat™ and Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2 as well as DirectX® 9, DirectX® 10, DirectX® 10.1 and OpenGL titles. The ATI Radeon™ HD 5570 delivers up to a 60 percent performance improvement over the closest competing product in its class.5

Expanding the Desktop: The latest in ATI Eyefinity technology enables up to three displays to be used with a single ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card,1 delivering a highly immersive gaming experience, and helping to boost productivity in home and office applications.

Accelerate with ATI Stream technology: ATI Stream technology helps to speed up video transcoding and to improve video playback performance with applications such as Adobe® Flash®. ATI Stream technology also delivers video enhancements that help enable better visual quality and sharper, more vibrant images.2

Immersive HD multimedia experience: The ATI Radeon™ HD 5570 graphics card delivers the same rich HD multimedia capabilities as the enthusiast-class ATI Radeon HD 5870, with features such as HDMI 1.3a with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio for a premium media PC experience.

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Meanwhile Q3 2010 brings the both the Hengshan, a 3.4-inch Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone, and the Huashan.  The latter is the more interesting of the two, frankly, as a 4.3-inch WVGA device which apparently started out life with Android but is now tipped for a switch over to Windows Mobile 6.5.

Finally, in Q4 2010 there are two new Android devices planned, each slotting into relatively budget ranges.  The 2.8-inch QVGA Songshan arrives first, complete with a keyboard, and is followed by the Tianshan, a 3.2-inch QVGA Android phone.  No news for anyone outside of China, of course, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed.

[via Android Community]

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While the Monte isn’t a smartphone – in fact it runs Samsung’s own TouchWiz 2.0 Plus platform – Samsung reckon it has much of the functionality of one.  They’re particularly proud of the handset’s browsing abilities, which support full HTML and both landscape and portrait modes, and its social networking: there are Facebook and MySpace apps, as well as Twitter and Bebo widgets and a multi-platform IM client.

You also get Exchange ActiveSync support, an FM radio with RDS and Google Maps 3.0.  Memory is 200MB internal with a microSD slot (up to 16GB cards supported) and the 1,000mAh battery is rated for up to 298 minutes 3G talktime or 454hrs 3G standby.

No word on how much the Samsung Monte will cost, nor which markets it will ship in, but the company apparently plan to have it at Mobile World Congress 2010 next week.

Press Release:

Samsung Launches Monte, the Perfect Fit for Full Touch Lifestyle

Samsung Monte offers enhanced full touch functionality, social network integration & sleek design

SEOUL, Korea – February 9, 2010– Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the launch of Samsung Monte(model: S5620), its new full touch screen device for style-conscious mobile users.

The handset is launched with a host of multimedia features and a sleek, organic design with a sophisticated and glossy look, providing the style and performance of a high-end handset at affordable price. With a stunning design and an intuitive TouchWiz 2.0 Plus User Interface (UI), the Monte is set to become the latest must-have full touch device.

Equally, the Samsung Monte has a lot to offer to the social network savvy consumer with a suite of native social networking applications including Facebook and MySpace, allowing users to access their profiles whenever and wherever they choose. This is teamed with advanced Twitter and Bebo widgets – and multi-IM capability – to provide users with the opportunity to chat in real-time via their chosen service. In addition, Monte users can enjoy full Internet browsing, with an accelerometer sensor allowing the onscreen image to automatically adjust as you rotate the phone.

To become the perfect accompaniment to a connected lifestyle, the Monte includes GPS supported by Google Latitude™, ensuring you know where you are – and can keep your friends updated on your location – at all times. This combines with Geo-tagging, allowing users to imprint their photos with geographic tags to share their travels and experiences with friends. Other connectivity features include optional anytime, anywhere Wi-Fi connectivity, Exchange ActiveSync for access to Outlook email accounts, and Google Sync™. This allows users to simultaneously update their social networks schedules and Outlook calendar, without the hassle of accessing each application individually.

“Samsung Monte is designed for those who appreciate beautiful design and outstanding performance at affordable price,” said JK Shin, president and head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “The phone offers a compelling set of features, such as the native social networking applications, with an intelligent User Interface, design and connectivity options to provide users with the performance they demand.”

To showcase this feature rich and stylish handset, the Monte comes equipped with a 3.0-inch WQVGA LCD screen with 16:9 landscape viewing. It also boasts a 3.2-megapixel camera with many value-added features including smile shot, panorama shot, and face detection. For convenience, the phone also supports Smart Unlock and One finger zoom.

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(888) 48NEXUS (63987) is the official number that you can call (between 7:00 am – 10:00 pm PST), for additional services supplementing Google’s lackluster support forums and email support.

Google’s not normally known for going the extra mile in terms of customer support, but the Nexus One is anything but a normal Google product.   From the tech company, is the line “Live phone support from Google, combined with an optimized on-line support experience, enables a superior Nexus One customer experience.”  We can only hope that’s the case from now on.

[via CNet]

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The concentrated effort comes most likely from Google’s statement  last month that cyberattacks were launched on its China-based systems in an assault, and its threats to pull out their operations from the country.

Whether it be elite hackers or script kiddies, China’s increasingly being labeled by many as the nation spawning a sizable number of cyberattacks, and incidences like this only fuel the surge of criticism toward the nation.

[via PopSci]

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Micfrosoft claims that their new method, which reports when a battery is down to 40% of its designed capacity and suggests replacement, hasn’t reported a single false positive.  The blog post reports: “To the very best of the collective ecosystem knowledge, Windows 7 is correctly warning batteries that are in fact failing and Windows 7 is neither incorrectly reporting on battery status nor in any way whatsoever causing batteries to reach this state. In every case we have been able to identify the battery being reported on was in fact in need of recommended replacement.”

Microsoft’s word to be taken at heart, or not?  Well, at least they’ve at least afforded an explanation to this issue.  Plus, the OS maker assures that it will continue to look into this issue.

[ via CNet]

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Motorola’s official Facebook message states:  “We’re happy to relay the 2.1 upgrade to DROID will start to roll out this week, and we will have more information to share on other device upgrades later …this week as well.”  Other updates?  It’d be nice if Motorola revealed what’s exactly going to be in this update first, other than the standard Android 2.1 bits and pieces.

[via Engadget]

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