Category: PC & Linux

Panasonic Japans introduces two new Lets Note laptops, got a new pair of 12.1-inch units outside today. The stock models come with a 1280*800 display (some extra cash for a built-in 720p webcam). By default you will get a Intel Core i5 2450M chip, USB 3.0, WiFi (Wi-MaX!), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, HDMI-out and on the SX edition, an optical drive. Build-to-order options include swapping in an SSD and a battery pack that promises an unbelievable 17 hours of power. There is no mention yet on the availability for the international market and the cost too.

The company just made out a rolling out improvements and features for Windows 8 aimed at really making upcoming tablets competitive with their Android and iOS based market mates. After cramming the mobile broadband tools into the title happy OS, now Redmond turning his focus towards sensors. Windows will now offer integrated support for gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, and ambient light sensors among other things. Developers will be able to use multiple sensors in conjunction for more accurate interaction. So, Microsoft is turning their focus now to PC to tablets and smartphones now. Dont forget to look at the video.

Cisco now offers an option that turns your electrical outlets into wired network connections with speeds up to 200Mbps. Each Linksys HomePlug AV Powerline option includes an Ethernet adapter that connects to your router and a second adapter for your wired devices both are plugged into sockets of your choosing to get started. It then uses your homes electrical wiring for the system, saves the headache of hiding cables for that home office. The company says that the kit will play nice with most household appliances and 1-port and 4-port adapters are available now for $100 each. A Powerline 1-port Wireless Extender is coming at March will create a WiFi signal for HomePlug system. For more details read the press release.

HP new Mini 1104 is a crunched budget, a business y-type with low-cost computing needs, or just a wee PC, this latest one should suit your tiny tastes just fine. It starts at $399, the 1104 runs Windows 7 Home Premium on a dual-core Intel Atom 2600 clocked at 1.6GHz, sports a 10.1-inch WSVGA display, 320GB storage, 2GB DDR3 SDRAM, Bluetooth 3.0 and support for WiFi a/b/g/n networks. You can also swap a standard battery with a six-cell Li-ion for 9 hours of productivity. The embedded TPM 1.2 chip along with Computrace Pro Software helps you keep safe and control your data. For more details see the full specs.

The B23E, a business laptop with 12.5-inch packs a Core i5 or i7, 8GB RAM and 750GB HDD in a magnesium-aluminium alloy case; other expected Pro-series niceties are also in row. It includes a finger-print reader, spill-proof keyboard, and an anti-shock mounted hard disk. It weighs 3.4 pounds, and doesnt state how long it will last charge, but we cant imagine a three-cell 4,400mAh battery is going to impress the longevity. It got a screen resolution of 1366*768. Dont forget to check out the spec sheet.

Adlink announces the new series of quad-core computers that laugh in the face of overheating. Its Matrix MXE-5300 line-up covers Intel Core i7, i5, and i3 processors setups and is tweaked especially for wireless optimization with 3G, WiFi, or Bluetooth and GPS. It got six USB ports, four serial ports, Ethernet, two Mini-PCIe and a single USIM slots. These also got in-vehicle multimedia systems and ever so-slightly less interesting likes of factory automation. For more details read the press release.

In the latest post from Building Windows 8, Steven Sinofsky introduces the Resilient File System or ReFS, as a next generation file system, built on foundations of the NTFS. By reusing NTFS API / semantics engine, it hopes to retain a high level of compatibility with NTFS features. Underneath the existing semantics engine, the new file system needs the new storage engine that hopes to protect against latent disk errors, resist data corruption, uphold metadata integrity, great large volume, file and directory size and build a battery storage system in general.

Corels new AfterShot Pro software runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux and offers a $99 package for managing photos includes RAW handling, image editing, and quick library management. Its a digital photography work flow app like Aperture and Lightroom. It features RAW workflow, flexible management, advanced non-destructing editing, robust metadata tools, batch processing, and integration with image editor. Its claiming breakthrough performance with software being fully multi-threaded and optimized for multi-Core and multi-CPU devices. The product costs you $99.99.

Microsoft introduces Picture Password, a good feature at CES. It is very simple, you start up to your device and lift the little veil common to metro devices, and you are presented with a picture. Your password is to touch and slide along certain parts of the picture, tap your dogs in a certain order, or slide your finger outside of your house, like that. Windows 8 have some design decisions, but it also has some new and interesting UI ideas. To unlock your device it take three steps, first one is wake button, second one is lift veil, third one picture password. It seems quite interesting using the new feature.