Digital Tech News - Digital Technology & Consumer Electronics

Acer Aspire A0722 11.6-inch 4G Netbook now on sale at AT&T

AT&T is now selling the Acer Aspire A0722 11.6 inch Netbook online to enterprise users and consumers. The netbook will run on AT&T's HSPA+ network, their version of 4G, which offers up to 4x faster data transmission.  The Aspire AO722 is an ultra portable netbook PC with a full-size keyboard, and it packs a 250 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM, three USB ports, a VGA out connector, an Ethernet Jack, headphone jack, HDMI-out port, and a 6-cell battery.

The Acer Aspire A0722 is priced at $449.99 without an annual contract, but AT&T customers can also purchase the A0722 at the discounted price of $39.99 if they sign-up for a two-year agreement with a 3GB monthly data plan.

HP ENVY 14 Spectre Ultrabook PC

HP's new ENVY 14 Spectre Ultrabook PC was revealed this week at CES 2012, and it features a lightweight, scratch-resistant glass on the lid, display, palmrest and HP ImagePad. This Ultrabook offers a 14-inch screen inside a 13.3-inch body, also known as a high-definition HP Radiance Display which is said to offer high resolution, the richest color for better brightness and wider viewing angles than traditional notebook displays.

The HP ENVY 14 Spectre notebook PC is expected to go on sale in the United States on February 8th, starting at $1,399.99.  This model is 20-mm-thin, weighs less than 4 pounds, and it is equipped with a matching audio-grade speaker mesh and Beats Audio technology developed by HP and Beats by Dr. Dre.  The ENVY 14 Spectre also packs built-in HP Wireless Audio for streaming uncompressed audio to up to four external devices or directly to any KleerNet compatible device.  Additional features include an HP Radiance Backlit keyboard, up to 9 hours of battery life, the latest Intel Core processors, up to 256 gigabytes of storage, Intel Rapid Start Technology and support for two ultrafast mSATA solid state drives. Advanced input and output options include Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, HDMI and Mini DisplayPort.

Toshiba Qosmio F755 3D laptop offers Glasses-Free 3D

Toshiba America's Qosmio F755 3D laptop is now optimized for NVIDIA GeForce 3D support, which makes it possible to experience glasses-free 3D gaming for the first time on a laptop. This new update for the Qosmio F755 3D is available for download via Toshiba’s Service Station utility.

"To achieve a 3D viewpoint without the aid of special glasses, the award-winning Qosmio F755 3D laptop uses auto-stereoscopic display technology. Equipped with a brilliant 15.6-inch diagonal 1080p Full HD TruBrite display with Active Lens technology, the double parallax image display is able to project two sets of images at the same time, splitting them between the left and right eyes to create the 3D effect. Toshiba’s intuitive Face Tracking technology then taps into the laptop’s built-in webcam to further perfect the projection of the image by reacting to the motion and position of the viewer, delivering a broad viewing zone from which to view 3D content. The end result for consumers is the ability to view and enjoy real 3D – no glasses needed."

Lenovo ThinkPad X130e laptop ruggedized for education

Lenovo's ruggedized ThinkPad X130e laptop is set to go on sale this week, offering students in grades K-12 a durable portable PC option. Starting at an affordable $469, the ThinkPad X130e 11.6-inch lightweight ultraportable is availabe with a choice of AMD Fusion E-300 and E-450 or Intel second generation Core i3-2367M ULV processors, and AMD Radeon or Intel HD-powered graphics. The laptop is ready to be handled, with reinforced and extra durable top cover, keyboard and hinges giving it extra protection. The ThinkPad X130e weighs under four pounds, and offers up to 8.5 hours of battery life.

HP Folio 13 Business Ultrabook

HP is set to release its first business Ultrabook portable computer in time for the holidays. The HP Folio13 Ultrabook will be available in December starting at $899.99, offering a light (3.3 pounds) and thin design with up to 9 hours of battery life. Measuring less than 18 millimeters thin, the HP Folio13 features an ultra slim 13.3-inch diagonal HD BrightView display and it comes equipped with a backlit keyboard, a 128 BG solid-state drive, RJ-45 and USB 3.0 ports, an HP TrueVision HD Webcam, and Dolby Advanced Audio.

HP redesigns its ENVY notebook PCs

The HP ENVY line of notebook PCs have been revamped with the new HP ENVY 15 and HP ENVY 17 sporting an all-metal chassis design with rounded edges in a black and silver finish, and the new HP ENVY 17 3D offering a 3-D visual experience on a notebook PC. Notable features on these laptops include a new HP Radiance LED Backlit keyboard, as well as enhanced audio with six speakers and a subwoofer powered by Beats Audio technology. 

The ENVY 15 (starting at $1,099.99) and ENVY 17 (starting at $1,249.99) notebooks are available with Intel Quad Core and AMD Mobility Radeon HD graphic processors, and with optional Radiance Full HD Infinity displays in 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch diagonal screen sizes. Both models also have support for HDMI and full-size DisplayPorts, and ENVY 17 also offers an advanced option with support for a 128-gigabyte mSATA SSD and up to two 1-terabyte hard drives. Battery life is very good on the new ENVY laptops, the ENVY 15 boasts up to 9 hours of battery life, while the ENVY 17 offers up to 9.5 hours.

Intel talks Ultrabook

New thin and light Intel Ultrabook computers are ready to hit the market priced at under $1000. Intel is launching these new easy-to-carry laptops with ASUS, Lenovo, Acer, and Toshiba providing a choice of Ultrabook models. This new category of portable computer is said to deliver best-in-class performance powered by visibly smart Intel Core processors, in a design that is just 21mm thick. Ultrabooks also offers fast start-Up with Intel Rapid Start Technology, and 5-8 hours of battery life.

Dell unveiles new thin XPS 14z laptop

Dell's new XPS 14z laptop, set to hit stores in November starting at $999, is the company's thinnest fully featured laptop with a 14-inch 1366×768 resolution HD WLED display and internal optical drive. This portable laptop is less than an inch thick, weighs about 4.36 pounds, delivers a little more than six hours of battery life, and it offers Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors and NVIDIA graphics in its 13-inch laptop form factor.

Dell Latitude E6520 Business-rugged Laptop review

After receiving the new Latitude E6520 Business Laptop from Dell, I couldn't help thinking about the old heavy and boxy-looking Dell laptop I used to use in the '90s, and how this new Latitude E6520 laptop instantly impressed me with its modern design. As part of Dell's Latitude E Family of business laptops, the Latitude E6520 line (starting at $1090.00) certainly means business, but it is also rugged and ready for travel. The durable system is built to resist scratches and potential damage from extreme temperatures, vibration, and dust thanks to its MIL-STD 810G tested Tri-Metal casing, anodized aluminum display back, powder-coated base and reinforced metal hinges. The Latitude E6520 is tough and yet it is not bulky and ugly as most other "rugged" notebooks out there. For added protection, the E6520 also has a protective LCD seal and 360 degree bumper for the screen, and my favorite feature - a spill-resistant back-lit keyboard.

If you're familiar with Dell computers, you know that the company is very good a letting customers customize products, and the Latitude E6520 is no exception. Processor options include Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 Dual Core and Quad Core processors, while operating system options include Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows Vista, and Linux Ubuntu 10.10. Display options available on the Latitude E6520 include a 15.6” HD (1366x768) Anti-Glare LED, 15.6” HD (1366x768) Anti-Glare LED with two finger multi-touch touchscreen, 15.6” HD+ (1600x900) Anti-Glare LED, or 15.6” Full HD (1920x1080) Anti-Glare LED. There are also 4, 6, and 9-cell battery life options with ExpressCharge, and swappable media module options supporting optical, hard drive, and USB 3.0.  Wireless connectivity options include Wifi, Bluetooth 3.0 and high speed 4g Wimax.

The Dell Latitude E6520 laptop model that I received features a 15.6” HD (1366x768) Anti-Glare LED, which is nice, but I can only imagine how sweet a Full HD 1920x1080 display would have been on this machine.  Running Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit OS, this mid-range E6520 model is powered by a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-2520M processor with 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and Intel HD Graphics 3000 on board. We've got a host of ports on the laptop, and they include 3 USB 2.0, 1 Firewire, 1 HDMI, 1 VGA, 1 ethernet, 1 ExpressCard slot, and an SD card slot. For security, there is Dell's Data Protection options on the laptop and both a Fingerprint reader and contactless smart card reader.

New Toshiba Portégé R830 and Tecra R840, R850 business laptops

Toshiba announced its new thin and light business laptops under the company's Tecra and Portégé brands. The new 13.3-inch Portégé R830 ultraportable, 14-inch Tecra R840 and 15-inch R850 laptops are released this month with prices ranging from $1,049.00 to $1,649.00 for the Portégé R830 Series, $899.00 to $1,479.00 for the Tecra R840 Series and $879.00 to $1,399.00 for the Tecra R850 Series laptop.

The new Tecra and Portégé laptops feature 2nd generation Intel Core processors, high-speed 7200 RPM hard drives or 128GB Solid State Drive and optional AMD Radeon discrete graphics with 1GB of dedicated graphics memory. Each model also includes USB 3.0, eSATA/USB Combo with Toshiba’s USB Sleep & Charge technology, DisplayPort or HDMI, ExpressCard, Gigabit Ethernet and docking connectors. Connectivity options include Intel AMT 7.0, Bluetooth 3.0+EDR, Intel 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi and each are Intel Wireless Display capable.

The thin Tecra R840 Series business laptop features a 14-inch diagonal HD LED-Backlit widescreen display, up to 11 hours of battery life when configured with a Solid State Drive, and it can be configured with Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors.

The Tecra R850 Series mobile desktop replacement laptop has a 15.6-inch diagonal HD LED-Backlit widescreen display and built-in 10-key numeric pad. This model is available with Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors the laptop offers 7 hours of battery life when configured with a Solid State Drive.

The Portégé R830 Series is said to be the world’s lightest 13.3-inch full-performance ultraportable laptop featuring an integrated DVD drive, weighing in at 3.1 pounds and measuring about one inch thin. The Portégé R830 can be configured with 2nd gen Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 full performance processors and are fitted with Airflow Cooling Technology. 

Toshiba's consumer edition Portégé R835 Series laptop starts at $888.99, and features Magnesium Blue covers, intel Core i3 or i5 processors, 4GB of DDR3 memory and 640GB hard drive. This one also has built-in USB 3.0 port and are Intel Wireless Display 2.0 capable for wirelessly connecting the laptop to a big screen HDTV.