Lenovo prices and details ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Lenovo has now announced imminent availability for its gorgeous and lightweight ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

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The new premier Ultrabook has 13.03 x 8.9 x 0.74-inch (331 x 226 x 18.85 mm) dimensions, the kind of size normally reserved for 13-inch displays but the ThinkPad X1 Carbon features a bright (300-nit) 14-inch, 1600 x 900 resolution screen. Its attractive and tough carbon fiber chassis helps it achieve a starting weight of just under 3 pounds (1.36 kg), making it just a shade heavier and thicker than Acer's 13.3-inch S5 and Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Air.

At the center of the top bezel is a 720p HD front-facing camera which benefits from face-tracking technology and dual array microphones. Below the hinge sits a backlit keyboard with large scalloped keys in the chiclet style, a multi-gesture glass surface touchpad and a fingerprint reader. Other system security features include a USB blocker to control access via the USB ports and BIOS Port Lock to remotely lock in and out ports.

The X1 will be available with either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional and be powered by the latest 3rd generation Intel Core ultra-volt processor options including an i7-3667U running at 2 GHz and a 1.8 GHz i5-3427U, supported by up to 256 GB of solid state storage and 8 GB of DDR3 system memory. There's Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics (although NVIDIA N13P-GLP Optimus Graphics with 2 GB of dedicated video memory also gets a mention on the datasheet) and Dolby-tuned audio in the shape of Home Theater v4.

Physical connectivity comes in the shape of one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port, a 4-in-1 media card reader and a Mini DisplayPort with audio rather than HDMI. For the mobile user, Lenovo offers integrated 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and the option of contract-free 3G mobile broadband and hotspot technology.

Lenovo's RapidCharge technology promises up to five hours of continued use from the 45 watt-hour battery pack after just 35 minutes of charging, or users could opt to go the extra 20 percent and get up to eight hours of battery life from a full charge.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is available from this month for a starting price of US$1,299.

Source: Lenovo

Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch adds multi-touch to interactive pen displays

Muti-touch functionality was added to Wacom's Intuos5 graphics tablets earlier this year and, after winning much praise from users, it's no surprise to see it arrive on the company's Cintiq range of interactive pen displays. The Cintiq range was first introduced in 2005 and the addition of the Cintiq 24HD touch now allows users to use their fingers to pan, zoom and rotate the canvas at the same time as using the pressure and tilt sensitive pen.

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Aimed at digital creative professionals, from freelance industrial designers to Hollywood animators, the Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch features a 24-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 pixel widescreen HD display capable of displaying 1.07 billion colors and 97 percent of Adobe's color gamut. The display can also be color-calibrated.

While creatives are obviously still able to using Wacom’s pressure and tilt sensitive cordless battery-free Grip Pen on the screen and experience a feeling similar to using traditional brushes and pens (with 2,048 pressure levels on pen tip and eraser), they are no longer limited to using buttons and the keyboard to access other functions.

Wacom claims that muti-touch, which can be used to manipulate a 3D model or to pan, zoom and rotate an image, helps create an immersive experience and natural way of working. "The Cintiq 24HD touch closely replicates the experience of working with two hands when using traditional materials such as paints, markers and clay while giving the artist powerful capabilities that only exist in today’s creative software applications," said a Wacom spokesperson.

Also minimizing keyboard dependency are two Touch Rings which are positioned on either side of the display and can be used to access frequently used shortcut commands and perform functions such as zooming, scrolling and changing brush size. There are also 10 customizable ExpressKeys (five on each side of the tablet), which can be set for application-specific shortcuts.

The counter-weighted stand of the Wacom Cintiq 24HD means it can be adjusted to bring the display surface over the edge of the desk, so that it floats just above your knees, or more vertically like an easel.

The Cintiq 24HD touch – which measures 30.3 x 18.3 x 2.5 inches (769.3 x 463.74 x 64 mm) and weighs 28.6 kg (63 lb) with the stand, 13.7 kg (30.2 lb) without – is expected to ship in August 2012 with a price of US$3,699.

Source: Wacom

Here's a promo video showing what the Wacom Cintiq 24HD can do.

SkiMotion scooter propels you forward with groin power

If there's a new way to apply manual power toward motivating a set of scooter or bicycle wheels, someone will think of it. We've seen stair stepper-style scooters, dog-drawn scooters, elliptical machine scooters,gravity-fired hike-a-bikes and countless other designs. The SkiMotion uses a butterfly leg motion, among others, and gets your upper body involved.

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SkiMotion is a scooter with two individual legs that are independently linked to the front tube. The legs pivot outward for moving and collapse inward for storage and transport. The vertical front tube also folds down, making for a small, portable footprint.

SkiMotion says that the movements involved in powering the scooter are similar to inline skating, ski slalom and traditional kick scooters. In fact, the SkiMotion allows for five different styles of motion and exercise: butterfly, cambering, skating, ski motion and cross country ski training. Its listed top speed is 17 mph (27.4 km/h).

I took a SkiMotion out for a brief lap around a paved path, and I found getting started a little like doing half-splits. You extend your two legs outward, and the swivel-mounted wheels transform that energy into forward motion. The four-point pivot hub up front allows you to get your upper body involved, powering into turns and carving up hills.

The SkiMotion uses sturdy steel construction. Its 200-mm (7.9-in) front wheel is about double the size of each rear wheel, a design that SkiMotion says is aimed at stability and control. The bike is equipped with cantilever brakes on each wheel and includes two adjustable brake levers.

The SkiMotion is already available in Asia. It will launch in the United States in October. The adult version, which weighs 26.5 pounds (12 kg) and supports riders up to 200 pounds (90 kg) will retail for US$289. A smaller child's version (up to 155 lbs/70 kg) will also be available for $239. That price includes an optional set of LED rear wheels.

The video below gives you an idea of what's involved in riding a SkiMotion.

Source: Ride SkiMotion

Nintendo Wii U rumor round-up

A steady stream of rumors and announcements have been flowing regarding Nintendo's new console, including leaked box art, major title announcements and developer comments on the power of the system. We take a closer look at what to expect as the Wii U release draws nearer.

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Rumors and speculation

The box art for Nintendo's upcoming console was leaked when Amazon.ca listed a number of pre-order titles including Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed IIIand Avengers: Battle for Earth. These listings feature previously unseen box art which Nintendo has subsequently confirmed as the final design.

The Wii U box art is somewhat reminiscent of that seen on the cases of Nintendo's GameCube titles

Rumors have also surfaced regarding the planned release date of the new console. It was previously thought that Nintendo was on track for a November launch, thus getting the system on shelves in time for the start of the holiday season. However, Computer and Video Games (CVG) has reported that due to manufacturing difficulties, the console may not see a European release until early December. The report suggests that the complex new controller is the root of the issue.

The controller features a 6.2 inch touch-screen display, motion sensing and near field communication (NFC) technology, as well as a front-facing camera. The complex nature of the device has reportedly led to difficulties in mass production. Despite this, it’s believed that the console is set to meet the November window for its U.S. launch, with Nintendo keen to get the system on shelves prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Nintendo has been notably quiet about just how powerful its new system is. The Wii U spec list released following the company's E3 appearance left out key details, stating only that the CPU will be a multi-core IBM processor and GPU will feature AMD Radeon HD tech.

Though Nintendo is understandably making us hold our breath on details of the system's internals, developers have been a little more vocal, with somewhat mixed responses. Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada told Digital Spy that while the system's graphical power is comparable to that of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, the console's CPU is actually slightly slower than the competition. Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli said that the system is at “minimum on par with current generation” and that the company’s CryEngine 3 runs “beautifully” on the system. However, despite this praise, Crytek announced on twitter last week that Crysis 3 isn’t in development for the Wii U.

Developer support

EA has recently made some announcements regarding its commitment to the platform. During its Summer Showcase event, the company announced that the latest edition of its popular American Football franchise will be released on Nintendo’s new console. The Wii U version of Madden NFL 13will utilize the touch screen on the new tablet controller, allowing users to change player assignments on the fly during defense, and create custom hot routes by drawing paths on the new controller during offensive play. EA also took the opportunity to demo the extra functionality available in the Wii U version of FIFA 13.

A more general look at developer support for the new platform paints a fairly positive picture. The company has set out to recapture hardcore gamers with the Wii U, and the launch lineup seems a step towards to this goal. A number of major publishers have announced titles for the console, with flagship games such as Bioware’s Mass Effect 3 and Ubisoft’sAssassin’s Creed III present. There is a strong notion that Nintendo’s launch lineup features too many re-releases of titles that are already available on other systems. Games such as Batman: Arkham City will have been out for a significant amount of time by the time the Wii U version hits shelves.

That’s not to say that there aren’t any Wii U exclusives. Major Nintendo franchises such as the hotly anticipated Pikmin 3 are present and third party exclusives such as Ubisoft’s ZombiU are receiving a lot of positive press. The mini-game orientated Nintendo Land and Wii Fit U are likely to please the casual gaming market that the company pursued with its blue oceanstrategy on the current Wii console. However, the focus on the former of these titles during the E3 presentation has added to the skepticism felt towards the system by hardcore gamers.

Recapturing hardcore gamers

The manifestation of Nintendo’s desire to recapture hardcore gamers isn’t confined to the system’s full HD output and its lineup of more adult-orientated titles. The announcement of the Wii U Pro controller was an olive branch to the less-casual gamer. The new controller looks a lot like the Xbox 360 hardware and should help gamers who aren’t keen on the tablet controller to feel a little more at home.

The Wii U Pro controller is likely to be popular with hardcore gamers

The online connectivity is also a huge issue for gamers, and it's something that the company is yet to provide a great deal of detail on. A rare mention of the console's online component was discussed by Nintendo's president and CEO Satoru Iwata, when he stated to shareholders that Wii U users won't have to pay an Xbox 360-like subscription in order to take advantage of online features. This is good news for gamers, and the fact that the company is willingly comparing its online service to Microsoft's is a good sign in itself.

Sources: Nintendo, EA, Amazon.ca, CVG, IGN, Digital Spy

Sensordrone adds more sensory capabilities to smartphones

Those who value having a myriad of information on the world around them right at their fingertips may have something extra to add to their Christmas or birthday wish list. Sensordrone, a Kickstarter project that has managed to triple its initial funding goal of US$25,000, packs a dozen environmental sensors into a keychain-sized dongle, collecting highly localized data and relaying the information to any Android device via Bluetooth.

Just a few months back, a similar project – Variable Technologies' NODE – was successfully funded via Kickstarter. Sensordrone will retail at a slightly higher price, but will also come with some interesting and unique features of its own, starting from the types of sensors that are embedded in the device.

Sensordrone can measure temperature (with two separate sensors including an infrared non-contact thermometer), humidity, pressure, proximity, illumination and color intensity. It also features three separate gas sensors, which can be used for anything from spotting gas leaks to creating an impromptu breathalyzer.

The data is fed to any Android-compatible device via Bluetooth in three different ways: you can get immediate read-outs, receive a streaming data flow of continuous readings, or store the information in a comma separated value (CSV) text file, which is ideal for creating graphs and spreadsheets.

The Sensordrone also shines in flexibility, both on the hardware and the software side of things. A digital/analog interface allows the connection of new sensors to add even more functionality. And the software will be released under an open source license, meaning developers can create entirely new apps that better integrate the data from the sensors within the user experience of the smartphone.

The sensors would cost significantly more if purchased separately, and so the developers envision their device as the building block for a distributed network of low-cost, superlocal environmental sensors. The idea is reminiscent of projects that aim to use the accelerometers embedded into laptops to serve as an early-warning system for earthquakes. Unlike those projects, however, this one would require an ad-hoc hardware platform that may still be too much on the pricey side for a highly developed network to sprout.

The Sensordrones will retail for US$199 apiece, but can be obtained at a discount from the Kickstarter project page. The video below illustrates the device at work.

Powercrate charges and locks 25 tablet computers at the same time

Now here's a clever solution for transporting, storing and charging multiple tablet computers. The PowerCRATE is a portable (you can even air-freight tablets in situ) solution for charging 25 tablets simultaneously without connecting any power leads. Any brand of tablet can be used (including iPad, Samsung Galaxy and Microsoft Surface), charging can be on demand or programmed to take advantage of night-time electricity tariffs, each tablet can be locked inside its individual charging bay, it can be ordered with wheels and it stacks up to four units horizontally or two units vertically.

I can see schools all the world over seeing this news for the first time and immediately allocating one or more Powercrates for next year's budget due to the portability the solution offers, not to mention the security of the computers.

The X2 PowerCRATE also includes LED battery charge status indicators for each device and temperatures in the PowerCRATE are monitored digitally with forced air circulation maintaining optimum operating temperatures.

Also available is an ATA 300 compliant high protection lid with built-in handle and wheels if transportation, including by air freight, to other locations is required.

PowerCRATE weighs around 35 kg when fully loaded, and has a rigid, fire retardant polyethylene case that measures 315 mm (W) x 920 mm (H) x 360 mm (D).

A range of accessories designed to make the PowerCRATE as useful as possible are also available including mounting plinths to raise the height for easier access, a wheeled base, trim panels can be specified for permanent and semi-permanent installations, lockable, vented lids can be specified and security cables protect against theft while in transit, storage of charging.

JuiceBuddy claims world's most portable iPhone charger title

Cellphones have come a long way since the models of the 1990’s, but if there is one area in which a brand-new iPhone 4S still cannot hope to compete with those venerable handsets, it is battery life. With this in mind, California-based company Pacific Productions has unveiled the JuiceBuddy, an iPhone and iPod Touch charger which is small enough to fit on a keyring.

Though one may eek out a day or more of moderate usage, heavy iPhone users often end up carrying around an iPhone USB cable and accompanying plug ... or some form of back-up battery pack. JuiceBuddy is tackling the issue with a robust-looking design that shuns cables in favor of a built-in iPhone connector, a USB port and two fold-out prongs.

JuiceBuddy's designers claim their product to be the most portable iPhone charger available worldwide and as far as we can tell, these claims appear to be true. Only the somewhat similar JuiceTank springs to mind as an attractive alternative in what is an under-represented area of iPhone peripherals.

Sporting a diminutive size and a price tag to match, in addition to the ability to charge any model of iPod Touch or iPhone, JuiceBuddy is constructed from polycarbonate and available in white, black, red and polished aluminum.

JuiceBuddy is offered at an introductory price of US$25 including shipping, which will begin in August. Availability is limited to the U.S. at present, though an EU-friendly version is said to be in the works. Check out the promo video below for further details:

Source: Pacific Productions