Samsung announces Series 5 and Series 7 Windows 8 tablets with S Pen apps, optional keyboards

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/samsung-announces-series-5-slate-series-7-slate/

Samsung already showed off its Series 5 Hybrid back at Computex, but what we didn't know was that Sammy had yet another tablet / laptop mash-up in the works. The company just formally announced the Series 5 and it turns out it's going to be joined by the next-gen Series 7 Slate as well. (Also known as the ATIV tabs in regions outside the US.) The two 11-inch tablets more or less look alike, except the Series 5 is powered by an Atom-based Clover Trail processor, while the Series 7 packs Core i5 guts. Both support pen input, and will come with the same S Pen apps found on the Galaxy Note 10.1. As for that optional keyboard dock, Samsung previously touted its magnetic hinge, but the dock has since been retooled with a sturdier latch-based mechanism. (Check out the video below to see it in action -- the tablet really does seem incapable of falling out.)

As you can imagine, that difference in processor entails more than just different clock speeds. The two-watt Atom chip inside the Series 5 is rated for about nine hours of battery life, whereas the Core i5-powered Series 7 is expected to last between four and five hours on a charge. (The Series 5 is lighter, too, at 1.65 pounds, compared with 1.89 for the Series 7.) And, being a lower-powered device, the Series 5 has no vents. Last major difference: the Series 7 has a 1080p screen, while the Series 5's resolution tops out at 1,366 x 768.

On the software side, Samsung is loading all of its Win 8 systems with its various Media Hubs -- yes, just like the ones you'll find on the company's Android devices. You'll also find AllShare, a DLNA media-sharing app; S-Launcher, a widget that replicates the missing Start Menu in Windows 8; and eSettings, a centralized options menu for folks who maybe haven't learned where all the settings are in Win 8. As for those S Pen applications, you've got S Note, among other carry-overs from the Android side. As with the Note 10.1, the pen itself can recognize 1,024 degrees of pressure sensitivity.

Both tablets will arrive October 26th, the day Windows 8 starts shipping. The Series 7 will be available in one $1,119 configuration with 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and the keyboard. The Series 5, meanwhile, will cost $649, and will include 2GB of RAM and a 64GB solid-state drive. If you like, you can purchase the keyboard for $100, or you can buy the two as a bundle for $749. We'll be back with reviews in October but until then, check out our walk-through below. (Note: we didn't get a chance to play with AllShare, the S Pen apps or the Hubs, but hopefully we can give you a more detailed demo of the software soon.)

Gallery: Samsung Series 7 Slate hands-on (2012)

Gallery: Samsung Series 5 and Series 7 Slate

Continue reading Samsung announces Series 5 and Series 7 Windows 8 tablets with S Pen apps, optional keyboards

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

Samsung announces Series 5 and Series 7 Windows 8 tablets with S Pen apps, optional keyboards originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony VAIO Duo 11 slider PC hands-on (video)

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/sony-vaio-duo-11-slider-pc-hands-on/

While Sony's keeping quiet on a lot of the precise technical specs, there's plenty to talk about in the form-factor Sony has chosen for one of its debut Windows 8 VAIO devices. The Duo 11 slider pairs an 11.6-inch screen with a sliding -- and very satisfying -- hinge. This gives the slate two different ways to deal with Microsoft's forthcoming OS. Handily, Sony has also developed a precise digitizer to work in tandem with the device. We're liking the style of the slider, and that petite footprint is also rather appealing -- aside from the paucity for keys. There are more impressions and a hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Sony VAIO Duo 11 slider PC hands-on

Continue reading Sony VAIO Duo 11 slider PC hands-on (video)

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

Sony VAIO Duo 11 slider PC hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba unveils U925t Ultrabook with slide-out touchscreen, keeps the price a secret for now

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/toshiba-unveils-u925t-ultrabook-with-slide-out-touchscreen-keep/

If Computex was a coming out party for Windows 8 Ultrabooks, Toshiba was one of the wallflowers: though the company teased some concept devices, it only let journalists photograph them from certain angles, and with their screens turned off. Now, though, we're closing the summer with yet another tradeshow, and Toshiba is using the occasion to demo its wares in more detail. The company just announced the Satellite U925t, that Windows 8 slider we showed you earlier in the summer. No word on price, except that it's expected to be "slightly north" of the Satellite U845W, which starts at $1,000. We do know that it will ship on October 26th, the day Win 8 formally launches.

In the meantime, Toshiba hasn't left any specs to the imagination. What we have here is a 12.5-inch Ultrabook with a slide-out, Gorilla Glass touchscreen. Pushing the screen up reveals a built-in keyboard, and we were pleasantly surprised in our hands-on to find that it's actually quite spacious. (With this form factor, the propped up display usually cuts into the usable keyboard space.) The keys are also backlit, and have the same feel as what you'll find on Toshiba's U845 and U845W Ultrabooks. That is to say they're shallow, and very, very quiet. The whole package weighs "just over three pounds" and measures about 0.8 inches thick, making it easy enough to stuff in a carry-on.

When you push up the display you'll also find another surprise: an autofocusing 3-megapixel camera on the back side. For good measure, there's also a lower-res shooter up front. On the inside, it packs a Core i5 processor, Intel HD 4000 graphics and a 128GB SSD. Like many other Ultrabooks, it also has Intel's Wireless Display tech on board, though you'll of course have to buy the requisite set-top box separately. Taking a tour around the device, you'll find a mix of tablet- and laptop-style trappings: two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, vents, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a volume rocker and a button for turning off screen auto-rotation.

Software-wise, Toshiba is bundling Desktop Assist, a utility designed to give Windows 8 newbies quick access to files, programs and the like. You'll also see Live Tiles for things like Toshiba Central (a support hub), Book Place and Toshiba App Place. That's all she wrote for now, but expect us to follow up closer to October 26th with a more specific price. Until then, we've got hands-on photos below, along with a short walk-through video.

Gallery: Toshiba Satellite U925t hands-on

Gallery: Toshiba Satellite U925t

Continue reading Toshiba unveils U925t Ultrabook with slide-out touchscreen, keeps the price a secret for now

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

Toshiba unveils U925t Ultrabook with slide-out touchscreen, keeps the price a secret for now originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony unveils VAIO Duo 11 slide-out tablet, Tap 20 portable touchscreen all-in-one

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/sony-unveils-vaio-duo-11-slide-out-tablet-tap20-desktop-and-tab/

Sony just threw itself fully into the touchscreen Windows 8 arena -- it's introducing the VAIO Duo 11 slider tablet and the Tap 20 combination desktop and tablet design at its IFA 2012 press conference. The Duo 11 is a noticeably amped-up realization of the Hybrid concept we saw at CES. Its 11.6-inch, 1080p touchscreen is joined by a proper digitizer stylus for low-lag handwriting as well as some seriously powerful innards for a convertible PC its size: we're talking an Ultrabook-level Core i3, i5 or i7 as well as a 128GB or 256GB SSD, NFC wireless, GPS, and HD-capable cameras at the front and back. Sony is hoping for a late October release for this beast of a slate, although we haven't been given that all-important price.

The VAIO Tap 20, meanwhile, is more than just a tilting all-in-one desktop in the vein of Lenovo's IdeaCentre A720. Despite carrying a 20-inch, 1,600 x 900 touchscreen, it's still very much battery-powered -- you can lug the 11.4-pound PC into the living room and treat it like a tiny multi-touch table, if that's your inclination. It's sharing the same processor picks as the Duo 11, but it turns to more conventional 750GB or 1TB hard drives and puts the emphasis on shareable apps like Family Paint and the Fingertapps Organizer calendar. Not surprisingly, there's only one, front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera here, although NFC does make the cut. The Tap 20 is due to arrive at about the same time as its smaller Duo 11 sibling, although we're once again without details of how much it will cost.

Gallery: Sony VAIO Duo 11

Gallery: Sony VAIO Tap 20

Continue reading Sony unveils VAIO Duo 11 slide-out tablet, Tap 20 portable touchscreen all-in-one

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets

Sony unveils VAIO Duo 11 slide-out tablet, Tap 20 portable touchscreen all-in-one originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony announces 16.1MP NEX-5R with Fast Hybrid AF, WiFi and downloadable apps (hands-on video)

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/sony-announces-nex-5r/

Sony's entry-level NEX-C3 was recently updated with the NEX-F3, so it was only a matter of time before the company's mid-range mirrorless model scored a successor of its own. Keeping in line with its familiar naming scheme, the NEX-5R includes a new 16.1-megapixel sensor that's based on the version packaged with the 5N, and boasts low-light sensitivity through ISO 25,600. The new model offers a bevy of new features, however, with many stemming from its new-found ability to connect to the web, as Sony's first mirrorless camera with built-in 802.11 b/g WiFi. Standard remote functionality is included, via the Smart Remote Control app that lets you use an Android or iOS device to snap photos, Direct Upload for sending media to the web, and a typical suite of sharing features, including PC and DLNA access.

The 5R takes connectivity leaps further with PlayMemories Camera Apps, letting you download applications directly to the device, including tools that assist with retouching and sequential shooting. (Sony hasn't confirmed whether firmware updates will be pushed wirelessly as well, but it's a possibility.) With the 5R, the camera maker is targeting current DSLR users who are ready to upgrade but would consider a switch to mirrorless. Digital SLR-like controls will help ease the transition, including a new dial near the shutter release. There's also a new Fast Hybrid AF, which pairs 99 phase-detect AF points with a 25-area contrast system, resulting in noticeable improvements with any lens. There's also 1080/60p video, along with a 10 frames-per-second continuous shooting mode (with AF tracking!). If you were fond of the front-facing self-portrait LCD mode on the F3, you'll be happy to know it's here as well, complete with the downward-facing option included with previous-gen NEX models, but notably absent from the F3.

We took Sony's latest ILC for a quick spin, and noticed improvements immediately, especially when it came to the focusing system -- going side-by-side with the C3, the newer camera was able to focus much more quickly and accurately in low-light, even with the standard (and generally unimpressive) 18-55mm kit lens. Touchscreen functionality was present as well, just as it was on the 5N, though you can navigate all of the menus with dedicated controls, should you wish. We weren't able to test WiFi functionality, but it sounds promising in theory, especially considering the optional apps. We'll be taking a much closer look once Sony releases its NEX-5R in mid-October - the camera will ship in black, silver or white for $650, or $750 with the standard 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. For now, you can take a closer look in our gallery below, or the hands-on video after the break.

Gallery: Sony NEX-5R hands-on

Continue reading Sony announces 16.1MP NEX-5R with Fast Hybrid AF, WiFi and downloadable apps (hands-on video)

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Sony announces 16.1MP NEX-5R with Fast Hybrid AF, WiFi and downloadable apps (hands-on video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS outs dockable Windows 8 Vivo Tab and Vivo Tab RT

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/asus-outs-dockable-windows-8-vivo-tab-and-vivo-tab-rt/

It looks like IFA will be where many Windows 8 devices shown back at Computex get (more) official. Exhibit A is ASUS, which today pulled the curtains on the Vivo Tab and the Vivo Tab RT, previously known as the ASUS Tablet 810 and the ASUS Tablet 600, respectively. There's still no pricing info available, but the company has filled in some of the remaining spec gaps.

As we previously knew, the Vivo Tab sports an 11.6-inch IPS display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution and supports a Wacom digitizer input in addition to 10-point multitouch. The tablet runs an Intel Atom CPU with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Vivo Tab measures 0.33 inches thick and weighs in at 1.5 pounds. There's also an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, plus a 2-megapixel shooter up front. As we learned back in Taipei as well, an NFC sensor will be on board.

Then there's the Vivo Tab RT, which is slightly smaller, at 0.33 inches thick and 1.1 pounds, and with a 10.1-inch screen. Like its non-RT brother, it boasts an IPS display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, but it runs a Tegra 3 processor and a 12-core GPU, with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The RT tablet includes the same cameras and NFC sensor as the Vivo Tab.

Of course, these two slates also come with a Transformer-like dock, which adds a full QWERTY keyboard, trackpad, two USB ports and a second battery. The missing element to this equation is still pricing and availability: check back for those details, and in the meantime hit up the press release below the break.

Continue reading ASUS outs dockable Windows 8 Vivo Tab and Vivo Tab RT

Filed under: Tablets

ASUS outs dockable Windows 8 Vivo Tab and Vivo Tab RT originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel's full Atom 'Bay Trail' roadmap leaked: 22nm, Ivy Bridge graphics, quad-core

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/intel-bay-trail-roadmap-leaked/

We saw a leaked hint of what was coming for Intel's Valleyview system-on-a-chip (SoC), but now the full plan appears to have been outed by Chinese blog Expreview. The lineup will feature four models of the 22nm chips, with the D- and M-series looking to replace the Cedar Trail 32nm SoC chips used in current netbook and low-end desktop devices. The I-series is for embedded and industrial use, while the T-series would appear in tablets and other small form-factor devices, according to the leaked slides. That model would supersede the Clover Trail SoCs, which are only just arriving themselves in upcoming Windows 8 slates like the Acer W510 or Asus Tablet 810.

The chips should offer a burly horsepower bump over their predecessors, with up to four cores and clock speeds topping out at 2.4Ghz. The icing on the cake will be the integrated Gen 7 graphics engines of Ivy Bridge fame, featuring the same HD 4000 and HD 2500 GPU's as the grownup chips, but with only four "execution units" instead of the 16 you'd find there. That would offload functions like video decoding and 3D rendering from the CPU and allow simultaneous display to a TV or monitor. Bay Trail would also support 8GB of DDR3 RAM, double that of the "last" gen, as well as USB 3.0, SATA 2.0 and a host of other connection options. If the leak is accurate, the processors would arrive sometime next year, we'll just have to wait and see if that's soon enough for Intel to take a run at its formidable competition.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets

Intel's full Atom 'Bay Trail' roadmap leaked: 22nm, Ivy Bridge graphics, quad-core originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Family History Records in Granite Mountain Vault

http://ldsmediatalk.com/2012/08/29/family-history-records-granite-mountain-vault/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LDSWebGuy+%28LDS+Media+Talk%29

Watch this video “Granite Mountain Records Vault” to learn about the technologies and processes used to unlock the collections of genealogy records preserved in the Granite Mountain Records Vault. The video explains how records stored in microfilm and other formats are digitized, indexed, and published online in a searchable format, where they can be accessed by researchers around the world at FamilySearch.org.

The part 2 video below explains the rest of the story.

from LDS Media Talk http://ldsmediatalk.com

Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for 'less than €150'

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/archos-gamepad-with-physical-controls/

Archos already has its hands in the kiddie-tablet market, with its 7-inch Arnova Child Pad, and it's taking on the productivity-minded crowd with its keyboard-toting 101 XS. Now the company is going after another niche segment with the just-announced GamePad. The 7-inch slate runs Android 4.0 with a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and a quad-core Mali 400 MP GPU, and it sports physical gaming controls in addition to the standard touchscreen. Archos includes its own "game recognition and mapping tools," which ensure that the physical buttons are compatible with Android games that use virtual controls (some 1,000 titles are apparently compatible with the GamePad at this point). Of course, this is an internet-enabled device as well, and it will include full access to the Play market and WiFi connectivity when it goes on sale at the end of October. Other specs include 8GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot that adds up to 64GB. There's also a mini-HDMI connection for outputting content to your TV. For now, Archos is only announcing pricing as "less than €150", and the device will drop in the US and Europe at the same time. For now, the below-the-break press release will have to satisfy your curiosity.

Continue reading Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for 'less than €150'

Filed under: Gaming, Tablets

Archos unveils 7-inch GamePad with physical controls, Ice Cream Sandwich for 'less than €150' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 08:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Liftport turns to Kickstarter for space elevator experiment (video)

http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/28/liftport-turns-to-kickstarter-for-space-elevator-experiment-vid/

Space elevators are slowly making the transition from science fiction to science fact... but we're not quite there yet. LiftPort, a group that already holds the record for tallest elevator, is taking a second stab at the technology after going into "hibernation" in 2007. Founder Michael Laine has resurrected the company and taken to Kickstarter to drum up interest (as well as a little cash) in his latest project -- a lunar elevator. As Laine explains in the video, an elevator from the surface of the Moon to a rendezvous point between the Earth and its satellite is actually possible using current technology. And, thanks to its low gravity and lack of atmosphere, a much simpler construction site. The first step is a $1 million feasibility study that will involve a two kilometer tall elevator here on Earth. LiftPort has already far exceeded its Kickstarter goal of $8,000, but the point was never to fund the entire project. The hope was to garner some media attention and get people involved and invested (both financially and emotionally) by offering rewards. You could even pledge enough money to base jump from the top of the tethered research tower, which will be held aloft by helium balloons. For more info check out the video after the break and hit up the source link to pledge your hard earned cash.

Continue reading Liftport turns to Kickstarter for space elevator experiment (video)

Filed under: Misc

Liftport turns to Kickstarter for space elevator experiment (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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