Acer preps affordable XC and ME desktops for Windows 8 launch

Acer's no-frills XC and ME desktops will offer the latest Intel Core processors, Windows 8, and start at $400 and $650, respectively.

The torrent of Windows 8 related announcements continues with Acer’s announcement of its mainstream Windows 8 desktops in the consumer market. These products, which replace earlier desktops like the Acer Aspire M, will be broken up into the XC Series and ME Series.

Budget buyers will be interested in the XC Series (pictured above). These small form factor desktops include Intel processors (up to the Core i3 2130) and up to 1TB of hard drive space. They do not, however, offer USB 3.0. That’s the sacrifice necessary for the extremely low starting price of $399.99.

Most mainstream consumers will turn their attention to the ME Series, however. These mid-towers can be equipped with Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, up to 2TB of hard drive space and up to 16GB of RAM. They also include four USB 3.0 ports, two of which are located in what Acer is calling a “recess desk” at the front of the case. It’s an area coated with a non-slip surface on which users can place devices that are charging via the front USB ports. Pricing of the ME Series begins at $649.99.

Both of these desktops will of course ship with Windows 8 and will also come with Acer Cloud, the company’s proprietary cloud storage service.  

Consumers can look for these new products to hit store shelves on October the 26.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

SpareOne emergency phone: One battery, 15-year charge, now in waterproof bag

When you can't rely on your smartphone battery to last forever, use the SpareOne emergency phone as backup.

Tis the season for new smartphone announcements. Whether you are a diehard gadgeteer or a general consumer shopping for a new phone, one of the most important thing you want to learn about a product is how long the battery lasts. You never know when you will need to make calls during emergency situations. Luckily, you don’t always have to rely on smartphones in case of long term power outages. The SpareOne emergency cellphone is your perfect backup, running on a single AA battery and can reportedly last up to 15 years with 10 hours of talk time.

We received a demo unit of the SpareOne phone and it’s as bare as an emergency phone gets. The candybar style device has all the buttons in the front, is extremely lightweight, and comes complete with the one AA battery it needs to power on. You’ll need to insert your own micro SIM card to make calls, but 911 will always work with or without a SIM. SpareOne recently released the device with a new waterproof, floating bag so your one emergency won’t get destroyed, making it durable in an all-weather situation.

While it’s not a particularly fancy gadget, it does seem like a fairly useful one to have sitting in your emergency shelf. If necessary, the phone also doubles as an torchlight and and last up to 24 hours with the single AA battery. Though the idea is for SpareOne to be an emergency backup phone, the device could make for a good starter phone for younger kids whom you don’t believe has the responsibility of owning a smartphone just yet — but should still have cellphone access at the minimum. It could also make for a good rugged, traveling phone for when you take outdoor trips and don’t want to ruin your fancy iPhone 5. Of course, the only problem you’ll run into in these situations is having to actually remember your contacts’ phone numbers or carry a phonebook … and when was the last time anyone did either?

If you’re intrigued, SpareOne emergency phone is available for purchase now at $120 apiece.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Ouya: ‘Over a thousand’ developers want to make Ouya games

Alongside announcements of personnel acquisitions, the creators of the Android-based Ouya console have revealed massive developer support.

Even after the relatively cheap, Android-based Ouya console proved a massive success on Kickstarter (the console was able to pull in nearly $8.6 million from investors despite having an initial goal of only $960,000), pundits and prospective owners of the new gaming machine loudly wondered how well it would be able to attract developers who would otherwise be making games for the Xbox 360, iPhone or PC. Assuming you believe official statements made by the people behind the Ouya console, there is nothing to worry about on that front.

“Over a thousand” developers have contacted the Ouya creators since the end of their Kickstarter campaign, according to a statement published as part of a recent announcement on who will be filling out the company’s leadership roles now that it is properly established. Likewise, the statement claims that “more than 50″ companies “from all around the world” have approached the people behind Ouya to distribute the console once it is ready for its consumer debut at some as-yet-undetermined point in 2013.

While this is undoubtedly good news for anyone who’s been crossing their fingers, hoping that the Ouya can make inroads into the normally insular world of console gaming, it should be noted that while these thousand-plus developers may have attempted to reach the Ouya’s creators, the company offers no solid figures on how many of them are officially committed to bringing games to the platform. That “over a thousand” figure means little if every last developer examined the terms of developing for the Ouya and quickly declined the opportunity in favor of more lucrative options. We have no official information on how these developer conversations actually went, so until we hear a more official assessment of how many gaming firms are solidly pledging support to the Ouya platform, we’ll continue to harbor a bit of cynicism over how successful this machine might possibly be.

As for the aforementioned personnel acquisitions, though they’re less impressive than the possibility that thousands of firms are already tentatively working on games for the Ouya, they should offer a bit more hope that the company making the console will remain stable, guided by people intimately familiar with the gaming biz. According to the announcement, Ouya has attracted former IGN president (and the first investor in the Ouya project) Roy Bahat to serve as chairman of the Ouya board. Additionally, the company has enlisted former EA development director and senior development director for Trion Worlds’ MMO Rift, Steve Chamberlin, to serve as the company’s head of engineering. Finally, Raffi Bagdasarian, former vice president of product development and operations at Sony Pictures Television has been tapped to lead Ouya’s platform service and software product development division. Though you may be unfamiliar with these three men, trust that they’ve all proven their chops as leaders in their respective gaming-centric fields.

Expect to hear more solid information on the Ouya and its games line up as we inch closer to its nebulous 2013 release. Hopefully for the system’s numerous potential buyers, that quip about the massive developer interest the console has attracted proves more tangible than not.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Don’t Forget About Us: BlackBerry 10 Demoed by RIM CEO

From Nokia to Motorola and finally to Apple, there’s been a tidal wave of smartphone announcements in the last month. But don’t forget about RIM, the company that once led the smartphone race.

Today RIM CEO Thorsten Heins took the stage at the company’s BlackBerry Jam conference for application developers to demo the next version of its operating system — BlackBerry 10. Originally due out before the end of the year, Heins announced in June that BlackBerry 10 wouldn’t be ready until early 2013. Today he said it is on track and just “a few short months away.”

Heins demonstrated a number of the platform’s new features, including one for multitasking called Peek. You can swipe the screen to pull up a small hub of your apps. Also previewed was a new Balance feature, which separates work from play on the device. There are two separate browsers, so you can keep your work searches separate from your personal ones.

The touch keyboard was also a major focus. The new touchscreen keyboard predicts words based on what you begin to type. The first BlackBerry 10 phone will have a touchscreen only; RIM says phones with physical QWERTY keyboards will follow.

Above all, Heins stressed that the company was changing. “We recognize the need for change. There is a new culture at RIM,” he said at the conference in San Jose, Calif..

Along with the details on the software, RIM also released a motivational music video on YouTube. Written to the tune of Speedwagon’s “Keep On Loving You,” the song says, “We’re in transition, a whole new mobile computing platform, one tough proposition.” It also reveals a bit about the phones: “The launch is just ahead. We’ll have Blackberry 10, both in full touch and QWERTY editions.”

RIM will announce its second quarter earnings on Thursday. RIM reported major losses last quarter, seeing a 33 percent drop from its previous quarter earnings and announcing 5,000 job cuts. The company did report today that its user base is at 80 million, up from 78 million at the end of the previous quarter.

Source : abcnews[dot]go[dot]com

Bowers & Wilkins A5 and A7 wireless speakers aim to meld audio expertise with cutting edge tech

Bowers and Wilkins' A5 and A7 with AirPlay depart from the Zeppelin's polarizing dirigible theme in favor of subdued styling.

It’s been a busy week for new speaker announcements and Bowers & Wilkins has made things a bit busier by launching its Wireless Music Systems, a duo of Airplay-compatible wireless speakers set to compliment its award-winning Zeppelin Air. 

The speakers are dubbed the A5 and A7 and their aim is to marry Bowers & Wilkins’ established audio expertise with emerging tech. The company believes it can deliver wireless capabilities without compromising on sound quality. Given the strong performance of the Zeppelin Air, we’re inclined to believe it, though we’ll reserve our official opinion until we’ve had a chance to audition the speakers for review. 

The A5 is the smaller iteration and zeros in on convenience and minimizing visual impact, a design approach which is far cry from the rather bold styling of the Zeppelin speaker. Versatility is this speaker’s strong-suit, but if you believe its manufacturer’s claims, it has the audio chops to punch above it’s weight.

The A7 on the other hand, is billed by Bowers & Wilkins as “the ultimate Wireless Music System.” This model was built more for horsepower and sports a six-inch bass driver and DAC’s capable of up-scaling audio to 24bit/96kHz. The A7 it seems, is pure speaker; it forgoes both docks and control panels in pursuit of streamlined power. If you’re looking to have your hair blown back, this version might be more your speed.

Neither of the new docks appear to support Bluetooth, meaning use is limited exclusively to iOS devices with AirPlay. 

With more and more A/V equipment taking advantage of technologies like AirPlay, it seems it won’t be long before wires and physical docks go by the wayside. Both models will be available in October, with the A5 selling for $500 and the A7 going for a whopping $800.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

What happens when you give people an iPhone 4S and tell them it’s an iPhone 5?

After a day of iPhone 5 announcements, it might be difficult to remember that the product doesn't actually ship until September 21.

Seconds ago, my colleague Dana walked into our office and said he tried to talk to the people sharing his elevator up to our floor about the new iPhone 5. To his surprise, neither one of the two people knew what he was talking about, and hadn’t even realized Apple announced a new product.

In our tech-obsessed professions, it can be hard to remember that not everyone (especially not in our industry) keep up with the ever-changing world of consumer technology. Of course, Jimmy Kimmel had a different take on the matter. The late-night talk show host decided to take it to the streets of Hollywood and showed random people the iPhone 4S and told them they were previewing the iPhone 5. This resulted in a ton of people truly believing the phone was new and different, even though some of the previewers owned an iPhone 4/4S themselves.

 

Some of the comments include a change in weight, thinness, and processing speed. One guy was even holding his own iPhone 4 in the other hand and still commented that the weight was different, while another says he owns an iPhone 4S and likes the “new one” better.

We’re not sure what Jimmy Kimmel actually thinks of the iPhone 5, but maybe this is his way of saying what we’ve all mentioned yesterday… been there, done that, nothing remarkably new. But of course, we’ll be the judge of that when we actually get the authentic iPhone 5 in our hands to see if what this lightweight, skinny body, A6 processor really means. If you see anyone in the street telling you to preview an iPhone 5, just remember: the official Apple product ships September 21. Anything before that is a jerk trying to hoax you!

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Toshiba’s Windows 8 PCs include ‘laptablet,’ ultrawidescreen notebook, Ultrabooks

Windows 8 will bring out some variety in Toshiba laptop line, with announcements including a “laptablet” with sliding keyboard, a super wide notebook with a 21:9 aspect ratio, and more Ultrabooks.

Toshiba has shown that it’s prepared for Windows 8 by revealing five launch products. The most revolutionary of these is the Satellite U925t “laptablet,” which we’ve already had hands-on time with, but the company has also announced four other products.

One is a familiar but unusual sight – the Satellite U845W. Toshiba’s ultra-wide laptop will be largely the same as before. It will have the same 1792 x 768 display and the same internal hardware. Toshiba claims it makes a particularly good laptop for Windows 8 because of its extra-wide display and large touchpad with Windows 8 gesture support.

This older product is joined by the Satellite U945, a previously announced Ultrabook. It will pack a 14-inch display, low-voltage Intel Core processors and a 32GB solid state drive backed up by a 500GB mechanical unit. Thickness comes in at .78 inches and weight is a bit under four pounds. As with the U845W, the U945 will have full Windows 8 gesture support.

Another new laptop in the pipe is the Satellite P845t. This 14-inch model is not an Ultrabook, but a standard multimedia laptop. As such, it offers a Core i5 processor instead of a slower, low-voltage version. Other features include Windows 8 gesture support, a 750GB hard drive and Harman/Kardon stereo speakers.

Last and least portable is the LX835. This all-in-one computer boasts a 23-inch 1080p touchscreen with full gesture support. It also has an optional TV tuner, Onkyo surround sound speakers, HDMI-In (useful for connecting a console or tablet) and third-generation Intel processors. This new entry will compete head-to-head with HP’s TouchSmart and Lenovo’s IdeaCentre all-in-ones.

All of these new products will be hitting store shelves the day Windows 8 launches – October 26. Pricing is unannounced.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Lenovo expands its line of Android tablets

Lenovo topped off its IFA 2012 fall announcements with two new tablets and the return of the keyboard dock.

In its IFA announcement today, Lenovo showed off a few new(ish) Android tablets that will hit shelves this fall. There’s new 7-inch, 9-inch, and 10.1-inch designs. Below are pictures and rough specs for each of the tablets, but that’s all we really know at this point.

Lenovo IdeaTab A2107

The A2107 appears to be Lenovo’s complete budget tablet. We don’t have a price yet, but with a single-core processor, it would have to be a lot cheaper than the $200 Nexus 7 to warrant consideration. Even then, it’s iffy to choose a single-core tablet. We look forward to trying it out, though.

• Screen: 7-inch, 1024 x 600 pixels
• OS: Android 4.0
• Processor: 1GHz Cortex A9 single core
• Memory: 16GB, 1GB RAM
• Cameras: 2-megapixel rear, 0.3-megapixel front
• Battery life: 10 hours

Lenovo IdeaTab A2109

Though it looks suspiciously like Lenovo’s S2109, this is a new tablet that may be just the right size with a screen that clocks in at 9 inches, which is quite close to the size of the Galaxy Tab 8.9, one of our favorite Android tablets.

• Screen: 9-inch, 1280 x 800 pixels
• OS: Android 4.0
• Processor: Quad-core 1.2GHz Nvidia Tegra 3
• Memory: 16GB, 1GB RAM
• Cameras: 3-megapixel rear, 1.3-megapixel front
• Battery life: 8 hours

Lenovo IdeaTab S2110

This tablet was shown at CES this past January, but is only now making its way to the United States in full. It’s mostly a reaction to Asus’s semi-popular Transformer tablets, which come with a keyboard dock. Hopefully the dock has been improved since CES, where we found it to be somewhat flimsy.

• Screen: 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 pixels
• OS: Android 4.0
• Processor: 1.5GHz dual-core
• Memory: 32GB, 1GB RAM
• Cameras: 5-megapixel rear, 1.3-megapixel front
• Battery life: 10 hours, 20 hours with keyboard dock

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com