Google Docs gets new Research tool, lets you search without leaving your work

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/google-docs-research-tool/

Google has already brought a pile of new fonts and templates to Google Docs this month, and it's now back with another fairly big new feature. Open a document today and you'll find a new Research tool on the side of your page (which can be toggled on and off), offering the ability to search for any topic and get results without having to leave the document you're working on. Those results can include images, quotes and other basic information that's delivered right in the sidebar -- and, of course, the usual search results that you can open in a new tab or window if you want to dive deeper on a subject. Hit the source link below for all the details on how to use the new tool, or simply fire up a new document to try it out for yourself.

Google Docs gets new Research tool, lets you search without leaving your work originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 15:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  Google Docs  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Haswell-based Windows 8 Ultrabook shown off at IDF 2012 in Brazil (updated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/haswell-based-windows-8-ultrabook-shown-off-at-idf-2012-in-brazi/

Intel's been playing the slow tease with its Haswell microarchitecture as far back as 2008. But today, we finally have a glimpse at what devices running that 22nm core might look like. Shown off at IDF 2012 down in Sao Paulo, the company's Brazilian prexy, Fernando Martins, was photographed brandishing a Windows 8 Ultrabook powered by that next-gen CPU, replete with touchscreen functionality. While it remains to be seen if such hands-on features will make it into the final consumer product, this reference design does at least tip us off to a potential form factor. When those chips do make their official market debut, you can expect a line of svelte laptops that will reportedly consume 20x less power and last up to ten days on standby. That'll make for some nice computing kit, for sure. Now you just have to endure the wait. Hop on past the break for a closer look at this work-in-progress.

Update: A spokesperson for Intel reached out to let us know that the device above is not, in fact, running a Haswell core. The Ultrabook in Martins' hands is actually an Ivy Bridge reference design.

[Thanks, Henrique]

Continue reading Haswell-based Win! dows 8 U ltrabook shown off at IDF 2012 in Brazil (updated)

Haswell-based Windows 8 Ultrabook shown off at IDF 2012 in Brazil (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 16:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  ZTOP (Translated)  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon: The Ultralight, Semi-Rugged Carbon Fiber Ultrabook [Ultrabooks]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5910216/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-the-ultralight-semi+rugged-carbon-fiber-ultrabook

Tablets may be the next big thing in mobile computing, but don't count out ultrabooks just yet. At least not until you've given Lenovo's Thinkpad X1 Carbon—a feather-weight, carbon fiber workhorse a closer look. It's tough, it's light, and you don't have to be an office drone to crave it.

The X1 Carbon it the latest addition to Lenovo's popular X1 series. Despite a spacious 14-inch screen, the X1 Carbon tips the scales at a scant three pounds—making it the lightest rig of its size—thanks to its carbon fiber roll cage. The screen displays at a native 1600x900 resolution. The system supports up to 8GB of integrated DDR3, runs 64-bit windows 7 Pro, and has that Intel Ivy Bridge goodness you've been hearing so much about.

I had a brief moment to handle the X1 Carbon at a recent press demo and I have to say, it's impressive—three pounds on the nose for a system this robust and a screen this large feels like cheating. There's a full Thinkpad keyboard here that's spill resistant and backlit. And the display isn't just big, it's matte, which only Samsung had standard previously. Most impressive, though, was the overall build quality. If the MacBook Air is a porcelain doll, the X1 Carbon is a G.I. Joe strapped with Kevlar.

The X1 Carbon reportedly gets up to 10 hours of battery life, which should translate to nearly a full day of real-world usage. But even if it doesn't, its Rapid Charge feature means it can get back to 80-percent capacity with just 30 minutes of outlet time. Handy when you're stuck in a terminal on a 45 minute layover with a quickly fading laptop.

Other key features include the 720p front-facing camera and Dolby Home Theater v4—good for Skype meetings with your supplier in Boise. The camera employs face-tracking software to follow your movements, so you don't have to sit rigidly front-and-center, while the Dolby system ensures that the mic picks up your voice while filtering out background noise. The X1 Carbon also features 3G connectivity for when you can't find an open Wi-Fi connection.

There's no word yet on pricing or availability, although it seems like Lenovo may be making it an online exclusive.

Read More...

Summary only...

Here's the Brand New AMD Processor that Could Power Your Next Laptop [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5910303/heres-the-brand-new-amd-processor-that-could-power-your-next-laptop

You didn't think AMD was going to let Intel get all the cool new processor attention with Ivy Bridge, did you? AMD's latest and greatest is now: Trinity. It's runs fast, cool, efficiently, and packs some terrific graphical tricks.

To put it simply, Trinity is about graphics. The chip packs a significant CPU upgrade, of course—by 29 percent, AMD claims—but they say the real muscle comes with the built-in GPU. The Radeon HD 7000, stuffed onto the same silicon, provides GPU acceleration for a huge swath of applications you're probably using every day. This frees up CPU power, and allows CPU and GPU to tag team heavy software to squeeze as much performance out of your laptop as possible. The first batch of Trinity chips will be topped off by the A10-4600M, with four CPU cores, a base clock speed of 2.3 Ghz, and 4 MB of L2 cache. AMD's also dropping a super thin and efficient (you might say ultra) model, the A10-655M, which will power new tinybooks with two cores at 2 Ghz and a 4 MB L2 cache.

AMD's teamed with developers to make sure programs like Photoshop, Handbrake, VLC, WinZip, and every major browser get a swift kick in the ass from Trinity's graphical guts, along with beefed up HD video playback. The GPU acceleration uses an open standard, too, so you can bet AMD is pushing more devs to team up.

It's an interesting approach—AMD is essentially ceding the CPU war to Intel as pointless, with the presumption that GPU acceleration is going to matter more in the long run. A war they can win, having absorbed the Radeon mojo. We'll have to wait until independent benchmarks come in to see whether Trinity delivers what AMD's promising, but it's an exciting way to think about computing, and one it's sort of betting the farm on.

Read More...

Summary only...

Samsung Galaxy S III battery tested by GSMArena, lasts as long as your tablet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/14/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-battery-tested/

Samsung made much ado over the Galaxy S III's 2,100mAh battery, but we've been wondering whether or not that power pack was a major perk or just a necessity to offset that hefty Exynos 4 Quad. One of what looks to be a growing number of escaped pre-release devices was put through the ringer in battery tests and came out looking spic-and-span: it lasted for just over 10 hours for video and voice, or long enough to make even a tablet like the new iPad or Transformer Prime break a sweat. Web browsing wasn't quite so hot, though, which at a bit over five hours was well behind the seven hours of an iPhone 4S. Don't expect the seemingly infinite battery of the Droid RAZR Maxx, and don't be surprised if final devices handle differently, but those with the international Galaxy S III should make it through at least a few interminable meetings watching their favorite reruns... not that we'd condone such a thing.

Samsung Galaxy S III battery tested by GSMArena, lasts as long as your tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 09:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  GSMArena  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Summary only...