Posted by kenmay on October - 24 - 2011
As far as product launches go, Dell didn’t exactly rip the Band-Aid off the XPS 14z. After teasing it back in September, the company let all the specs out of the bag , but stopped short of naming a price and ship date for the United States. Well, now we know: this 14-incher will be available in the US and Canada November 1, and will start at $1,000 — a price that puts it in direct competition with the likes of the HP Envy 14 and Sony VAIO SA series . Like these other laptops, the 14z commands a premium over cheaper models, with beefier specs and a (supposedly) more luxurious design. With Core i5 and i7 processor options, discrete graphics, USB 3.0 and an optional solid-state drive, it offers a lot of the same specs as its peers, though it manages to stand out in a couple key ways. One, it sports an LG Shuriken display, which crams a 14-inch screen into a chassis normally reserved for 13-inch systems (translation: its bezels are super narrow). And with a starting weight of 4.36 pounds, it’s lighter than a lot of the other laptops you’re probably considering. But are these bullet points enough to make it a smart buy? Read on to find out. Gallery: Dell XPS 14z Gallery: Dell XPS 14z review Continue reading Dell XPS 14z review Dell XPS 14z review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted by kenmay on October - 17 - 2011
That is the Logitech M525 wireless mouse, a rather unassuming hunk of plastic and rubber with a scroll wheel that also tilts for navigating pages both horizontally and vertically. Sure, you get your choice of white or black, for what that's worth, but probably the most distinguishing feature is the battery life. This £35 ($40) pointer gets up to three years on a single pair of AAs. In the states you get a few more color options, including green and blue, and all versions use Logitech's proprietary wireless connection, which lets you connect up to six devices to a single tiny dongle. The M525 is available now in the US and should be available in the UK before the month is out. Check out the PR after the break. Continue reading Logitech M525 wireless mouse lasts three years on a single pair of batteries Logitech M525 wireless mouse lasts three years on a single pair of batteries originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted by kenmay on October - 10 - 2011
Kind of like eating a peanut butter sandwich with no jelly, the most obvious app missing from the iPad has been Facebook — until today. The New York Times reports that the site has finally confirmed the app’s availability just in time for eager social networkers to like, subscribe and stalk from their slates. According to software engineer Leon Dubinsky, the app will highlight the multitouch awesomeness of the iPad, something that’s unavailable from the website alone even from a touchscreen device. The folks at FB also added that some of the newly released features will be integrated into the iPhone app as well, making it a win / win for iOS fanatics. Consider it liked . Check out the brief PR after the break. Continue reading The iPad gets a Facebook app, finally Filed under: Tablet PCs The iPad gets a Facebook app, finally originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted by kenmay on October - 10 - 2011
The dizzying world of 4G speeds remains a distant prospect for Britons, with telecoms regulator Ofcom deciding to delay the auction for the next generation of mobile spectrum. It was looking to sell off two potent bands of wireless network by the end of this year, but those plans have been put on hold by some legal jostling and desk-banging from UK carriers, with the British equivalent of the FCC saying it received several “substantial and strongly argued responses.” The sell-off delay might not affect any launch dates for 4G (already being tested in rural parts of the UK), as the bands up for grabs still won’t be available until 2013. But eventually all of this to-ing and fro-ing will test even the Brits’ stoic patience. UK 4G network auction delayed, spectrum sell-off pushed back to the end of 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted by kenmay on October - 8 - 2011
Desktop PC power supplies are tough to get excited about, no matter how many features they cram in. But Cooler Master’s Silent Pro Hybrid Fanless series is actually pretty alluring. The supply isn’t actually “fanless” but it does have a fanless mode that can be used to minimize machine noise, at least until the load crosses the 200W threshold. Add to that a 90-percent efficiency, fully modular cables and a control panel that lets you manually adjust the speed of your system fans and you’re looking at quite the compelling product for the DIY desktop enthusiast. As you could have guessed though, all these fancy features don’t come cheap. Cooler Master is offering three different models: 850W, 1050W and 1300W, which range in price from $200 to $300 — a sizable chunk of change to drop on any component. They’ll be shipping this month to the US and Asia, with Europe to follow in November. Check out the complete PR after the break. Continue reading Cooler Master launches Silent Pro Hybrid Fanless Series of power supplies Cooler Master launches Silent Pro Hybrid Fanless Series of power supplies originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 06:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted by kenmay on October - 3 - 2011
Like Zune’s own Business Development Manager once said , all consumer electronics products have a lifespan, and today the (not so long ) linage of dedicated Zune hardware expires not with a roar, but with a promise to honor its warranties. Tucked away in the inner chambers of the Zune support site lies a page spelling out Microsoft’s final words on the device, “Windows Phone will be the focus of our mobile music and video strategy,” it says, “we will no longer be producing Zune players.” The Zune HD is survived by the Zune music service, which will continue to function with straggling standalone media players, as well as the Windows desktop, Windows Phone and Xbox platforms. Zune is dead, long live Zune originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 23:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
Posted by kenmay on September - 28 - 2011
Assuming your local laws give you permission to drool, you might want to smack your lips and read on for some expert verdicts of OCZ’s enterprise-level 2.8GB/s Z-Drive R4 PCIe SSD. If your statutory position is trickier, then maybe just do it quietly? Storage Review : the R4 “blew away the competition in nearly every test by a significant margin,” even though it costs just $7/GB — up to 40 percent less than its rivals. Hot Hardware : benchmarks support the ridiculous speed claims, but thermal sensitivity means the card must be constantly bathed in cool air. AnandTech : it’s hard to compare the Z-Drive R4 because no other SSD comes close, but this type of technology has no track record for reliability and may therefore be a hard sell. OCZ Z-Drive R4 review roundup: this is what 2,800MB/s looks like originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
