Lenovo’s banking on motion control and Flex-able laptops with latest releases
Motion control hasn’t outmoded the mouse and keyboard yet, but it is finding its way into more and more consumer products. Take Lenovo’s upcoming A540 all-in-one desktop, for instance: its one of a handful of the company’s products to feature Lenovo Motion Control, a 12-gesture collection of hands-free (well, hand waving) media controls. The $1,279.99 machine is built specifically with families in mind, featuring a 23.8-inch 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen, NVIDIA GeForce GT 840A graphics, an Intel Core i7 CPU and an aluminum frame that tapers down to 4 millimeters at its thinnest point.
Lenovo is refreshing its laptop line-up too, including two new models for its Flex family of convertible notebooks. The 14 and 15.6-inch Flex 2 laptops feature the same 300-degree hinge we saw in the Yoga, Yoga 2 and ThinkPad Yoga – allowing them to bend over backwards into a makeshift (and rather large) tablet. The machines are fairly customizable too, and are available in both Intel Core i7 / NVIDIA GeForce or AMD APU and Radeon GPU configurations. The 14 and 15.6-inch Flex 2 convertibles will be available this June for $429 and $799, respectively.
Lenovo’s banking on motion control and Flex-able laptops with latest releases
Motion control hasn’t outmoded the mouse and keyboard yet, but it is finding its way into more and more consumer products. Take Lenovo’s upcoming A540 all-in-one desktop, for instance: its one of a handful of the company’s products to feature Lenovo Motion Control, a 12-gesture collection of hands-free (well, hand waving) media controls. The $1,279.99 machine is built specifically with families in mind, featuring a 23.8-inch 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen, NVIDIA GeForce GT 840A graphics, an Intel Core i7 CPU and an aluminum frame that tapers down to 4 millimeters at its thinnest point.
Lenovo is refreshing its laptop line-up too, including two new models for its Flex family of convertible notebooks. The 14 and 15.6-inch Flex 2 laptops feature the same 300-degree hinge we saw in the Yoga, Yoga 2 and ThinkPad Yoga – allowing them to bend over backwards into a makeshift (and rather large) tablet. The machines are fairly customizable too, and are available in both Intel Core i7 / NVIDIA GeForce or AMD APU and Radeon GPU configurations. The 14 and 15.6-inch Flex 2 convertibles will be available this June for $429 and $799, respectively.
Daily Roundup: Getting to know Xbox’s Phil Spencer, Nintendo’s rarest game and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Google will protect your phone by looking for sketchy apps you’ve already installed
Google has been alerting users when downloading apps of questionable origin for some time. But now the company’s taking its security a step further by checking up on your apps after you’ve already installed them.
Getting to know Microsoft’s new Xbox lead, Phil Spencer
There’s a new sheriff in Xbox town, and his name is Phil Spencer. While most of us know him as the E3 guy who speaks about games during Microsoft’s keynote, Spencer is a longtime Redmond employee who worked his way up from the bottom.
Facebook is trying to save you from embarrassing posts
In an effort to keep you on top of your privacy settings, Facebook’s giving its existing controls more visibility. By rolling out a new “Privacy Checkup” box in the near future, the company hopes people will become more aware of their sharing habits.
Play Nintendo’s rarest game on your Wii U
Back in the 90s, Nintendo released 90 copies of a three-part, competitive play cartridge called Nintendo World Championships. In the spirit of nostalgia, the company’s adding said game into its next iteration of NES Remix for the Wii U.
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Filed under: Misc
Lenovo’s new kid’s laptop has a folding, Yoga-like screen (and there’s a Chrome OS version too)
Here’s how you unveil a product and make sure no one hears about it: bury the news in a press release the same day you announce you’re buying an iconic tech company for $3 billion. That’s right: everyone was so busy pontificating on whether Lenovo would ruin Motorola, that barely anyone noticed the company had also announced a kid’s laptop. Well, we just had a chance to get hands-on with the new ThinkPad 11e ahead of its release, and while we might not normally care about kiddie PCs anyway, a few things stick out here. First off, although this is actually a collection of four different laptops, with two running Windows and two based on Chrome OS. Kind of a peculiar strategy when you think about it: how often do we get that kind of choice on the same machine? Secondly, Lenovo’s offering two form factors: a traditional non-touch notebook, and another with a touchscreen that folds back into a quasi-tablet mode. Yep, it’s basically a wee little Yoga, except it bends back 300 degrees, not 360. And, you know, it potentially runs Chrome OS. Now you see why we’re so intrigued, right? You grown-ups probably want one too.
But wait, there’s one other thing you should know, and unfortunately, this is probably where we’re going to lose some of you adults. As crazy as it sounds, this is actually the first ThinkPad that doesn’t have that classic red TrackPoint in the middle of the keyboard. “What kind of sorcery is this?” you ask. Chalk it up to kids having atrocious motor skills. According to a Lenovo rep, the company was getting complaints from schools about kids ripping out those little red dots on the last-gen X131e Chromebook. Which is silly because they apparently feel more comfortable using the touchpad anyway. So, to spare teachers the repair cost, Lenovo nixed the TrackPoint on the new 11e, and also retooled the keyboard so that there’s less space between the keys and their sockets (read: curious little children will now have a harder time wedging crap inside there).
Spec-wise, you’re looking at a quad-core, Celeron-based Bay Trail processor, with a 16GB solid-state drive on the Chromebooks, and a choice of HDDs and SSDs on the Windows model. Look for the Windows machines to arrive later this month, priced at $449 for the regular notebook, and $549 for the Yoga-like one. Meanwhile, the Chromebooks will ship in late May or early June, with the laptop retailing for $349 and the convertible priced at $429.
Death of Windows XP can’t quite reverse slowing PC sales
The official end to Windows XP support may have sent many companies into a panic, but it was good news for PC manufacturers this winter… well, sort of. Both Gartner and IDC report a big increase in PC shipments during the first quarter thanks to companies scrambling to replace old XP computers at the last possible moment. However, the two analyst groups note that the sudden spike only managed to soften ongoing declines in PC shipments, rather than reverse them. Depending on which research firm you ask, the number of PCs on the market dropped between 1.7 percent to 4.4 percent year-over-year. That’s better than what system builders have seen over most of the past two years, but it’s not exactly a recovery.
As for the companies that came out on top, it’s a familiar story. Market share gains largely went to major players like Lenovo, Dell and HP, while the biggest blows came to a long-suffering Acer as well as small vendors. What happens next is less than certain, though. Gartner believes that the tablet boom isn’t hurting PCs as much as it used to, and expects upgrades from XP to help shipments over the course of 2014. IDC, meanwhile, isn’t so optimistic. Although the outfit sees the tablet market slowing down as it matures, it’s not anticipating a turnaround for computers any time soon.
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Apple, ASUS, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
Lenovo Announces New A-Series Android Tablets with May Launch
With the budget-conscious in mind, Lenovo has announced a new trifecta of android tablets focused on work and play. These A-Series tablets, as Lenovo VP Shao Tao puts it, “is designed to meet the demands of today’s young, active users who are always on the go, and have lifestyle requirements that are as diverse as their own personalities.”
Pricing starts out low, but there is a good reason for that. Starting at $129, these tablets don’ t come off as top spec’ed powerhouses. The specs are modest at best with MediaTek quad-core processors and 1GB of RAM under the hood. The tablets’ will also sport 4.2 JellyBean at launch. Rounding out the specifications is 16GB of onboard storage, front and rear cameras and 1280X800 displays.
The new Lenovo tablets will debut in May and come in the 7, 8, and 10 inch varieties with the 7 inch tablet focused on reading and web surfing, the 8 inch dedicated to media consumption, and the 10 inch designed for work and relaxation.
The post Lenovo Announces New A-Series Android Tablets with May Launch appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Under Lenovo, Motorola picks a new but familiar leader
Motorola may have had to shuffle executives following Lenovo’s acquisition plans, but the phone maker isn’t straying far from its previous course. It just named company veteran Rick Osterloh as its President and COO, effective immediately. He’ll provide the “business continuity” that Motorola needs right now, according to outgoing leader Jonathan Rosenberg.
Recent history suggests as much. While many focused on ex-CEO Dennis Woodside as the face of the Google-era Motorola, Osterloh led product development during that period — he can take at least some credit for attention-getting projects like the Moto X and Moto 360. He’s also responsible for getting the ball rolling on Android at the company, having created the team that launched early efforts like the CLIQ and Droid.
There isn’t much in his background outside of Motorola to hint at a break from existing strategy. Beyond his most recent stint, Osterloh is best known for leading product management at Skype at a time when its mobile clients were becoming important. He also performed a similar role at Good Technology, a pioneer in enterprise smartphone use that Motorola bought in 2006 and sold three years later after getting little out of the deal. A brief position at Amazon in 1999 isn’t likely to have much influence given how much Amazon has changed since its storefront-only days.
Really, Osterloh has already been doing what you’d expect him to do in his new position: releasing products that revolve around strong mobile software. We wouldn’t rule out a change in strategy in the long term, especially since Motorola has been bleeding cash. For now, though, Osterloh’s appointment shows that the company is satisfied with how its recent devices have panned out — and it’s betting that you feel the same way.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Lenovo
Source: Official Motorola Blog
Intel aims at China with its speedy LTE Cat 6 solution, shipping in Q2 this year
Marking Intel’s 29th year in China, CEO Brian Krzanich took the stage at IDF Shenzhen with a little surprise: his company will be shipping its first Cat 6 multi-mode LTE solution, the XMM 7260, in Q2 this year. This follows the XMM 7160 that started shipping with Cat 4 LTE and half the number of basebands last October. The new solution has added support for China’s popular TD-SCDMA plus TD-LTE networks, along with the usual 2G GSM, WCDMA plus FDD-LTE around the world. With Cat 6 LTE’s carrier aggregation mode, the XMM 7260 can reach a top theoretical speed of 300Mbps, which is twice that of Cat 4 LTE.
There’s no word on who will be shipping the first mobile devices featuring Intel’s speedy modem, but Krzanich did use a development device to make a live Skype video call over LTE with Lenovo’s CEO Yang Yuanqing in Hong Kong, so we’ll take that as a hint. But of course, this doesn’t mean that Lenovo will be ditching its good friend MediaTek, who will be catching up with its own LTE solution very soon.
Lenovo’s latest budget Android tablets focus on high-quality audio
If Samsung’s new Galaxy Tabs aren’t your cup of tea, Lenovo may have the budget tablets you’re looking for. It just unveiled four entry-level Android slates that expand on the sound quality focus we saw in last year’s models. The Tab A7-30, A7-50, A8 and A10 all have Dolby audio that should improve your small-screen movie experience. They also have “responsive” (if unnamed) quad-core processors, too. You’re mostly choosing devices based on screen sizes. The A7-30 has a basic 7-inch display and optional cellular support, while the A7-50 jumps to HD and throws in a 2-megapixel front camera; move to the A8 and you’ll get an 8-inch panel, while the A10 includes (you guessed it) a 10-inch display. Lenovo plans to ship the new Tab A-series worldwide in the second quarter of the year, with UK prices ranging from a frugal £100 ($166) for an A7-30 to a still quite affordable £170 ($283) for an A10. There’s no mention of a US launch for the new A-series so far, but we’ve reached out for more details. We’ll let you know if these starter tablets reach American shores.
Weekends with Engadget: the future of Oculus Rift, new HTC One review and more!
Welcome to Weekends with Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines from the past seven days — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. For even more news, subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Can Oculus survive the Facebook effect?
Earlier this week, the internet responded to Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR with a swift fury. But it’s not all bad news. Our own Marc Perton points out, the deal doesn’t change the essence of the Oculus Rift, or its potential for non-gaming applications.
HTC One review (2014): a great phone, but no longer a game-changer
HTC’s new One is official, and it’s quite the looker. With a sleek unibody chassis reminiscent of last year’s model, the new One packs a larger 5-inch screen, and a brand new version of its Sense UI. What’s more, the handset is one sale in the US today, starting at $199 for the 16GB version.
iTunes Radio now streams the news, thanks to NPR
Last week, NPR announced that it joined iTunes Radio as the music streaming service’s first news channel. It may be the exclusive station for iDevice users at the moment, but we expect that won’t last for long.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review (2014): new, but not necessarily improved
The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon brings everything Lenovo fans loved about the original X1 Carbon, just in a lighter, slimmer package. Some users, however, may not enjoy its new “adaptive panel,” which replaces the traditional Fn keys. You can pick one up for $1,259, but be warned: the X1 Carbon has the shortest battery life in its class.
Turkish government bans YouTube following attempt to remove corruption videos
The Turkish government has struck again, this time banning YouTube in what appears to be an attempt to remove videos that contain evidence of political corruption. At this point, the restriction is active on several ISPs and continues to roll out.
San Francisco Giants (and most of MLB) adopt Apple’s iBeacon for an enhanced ballpark experience
The iBeacon is a small Apple device that boosts iPhone location services through Bluetooth — and the San Francisco Giants are outfitting their entire stadium with the tech. For the Giants, as well as 19 other MLB teams following suit, the iBeacon is yet another way to bring mobile interaction with fans to the next level.
Facebook: A visual history
Mark Zuckerberg’s social network turned 10 this year, so we took a look back at its design changes over the course of the decade. From profile redesigns to quarterly News Feed tweaks and open betas, constantly adapting aesthetics to catering to user habits has been a driving force for Facebook for quite some time.
Office for iPad review: three beautiful apps, each with strong competition
After quite a few leaks, Microsoft officially outed its Office for iPad offering. Those curious to try it out will need an Office 365 subscription in order to opt in and OneDrive for cloud accessibility, making it an optimal choice for those already invested in Redmond’s wares. Click through for all of the details in our full review.
This is what Facebook could look like on Oculus Rift (video)
As you’re probably aware, Facebook dropped $2 billion on Oculus VR with the intent to bring “completely new kinds of experiences” to us all. And while that leaves much to the imagination, Chaotic Moon studios has an idea of what that could look like.
NSA spied on Huawei founder’s emails to implicate him as a Communist Party insider
The New York Times managed to get a glimpse of documents suggesting that the NSA was hacking into the email account of Huawei founder, Ren Zhengfei. Apparently the government has been creating “back doors” in the company’s systems since 2009.
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Filed under: Misc
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