Monday, June 04, 2012

Marvell unveils all-in-one 802.11ac WiFi chip for mobile devices: throws in Bluetooth and NFC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/marvell-unveils-all-in-one-802-11ac-wifi-chip-for-mobile-devices/

Marvell unveils all-in-one 802.11ac WiFi chip for mobile devices: throws in Bluetooth and NFCLess is more, right? Marvell has announced a new 802.11ac-enabled chip that includes NFC and Bluetooth, all in one. The Avastar 88W8897 is geared at mobile devices and aims to compete with Broadcom's own chipsets, wich are already being sold inside "5G Wi-Fi" routers. Marvell's attempts to cram in those extra connectivity options does, however, make it a more attractive option for phone manufacturers. The dual-stream config will mean its bandwidth peaks at around 900Mbps -- Broadcom's offerings can reach up to 1.3Gps. Marvell humbly suggests that its own chip would also be at home in larger devices, including ultrabooks and tablets. The company also claims that it's up 50 percent smaller than rival chip combinations that offer similar functionality and -- perhaps crucially -- costs 75 percent less. The chip also throws in Location Engine, a WiFi-based feature that works to augment indoor positioning. Consumer products are promised to arrive sometime next year, which should mean plenty of time to map out your home and office in preparation.

Marvell unveils all-in-one 802.11ac WiFi chip for mobile devices: throws in Bluetooth and NFC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/lenovo-u310-and-u410-ultrabooks-available/

Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749

We're no strangers to Lenovo's new IdeaPads, having seen them at CES, but now the relatively cheap (and chunky) Ultrabooks are available to purchase. The starting price seems to have inflated slightly since January, with the 13.3-inch U310 base model going for $749 and the 14-inch U410 starting at $799. If size and weight are your prime concerns, be advised that even the smaller U310 comes in at 1.7kg (3.74 pounds) and 18mm (0.7 inches) thick. The 14-incher takes the Ultrabook definition to its limit at 1.9kg (4.18 pounds) and 21mm (0.83 inches) thick. Both are available with Ivy Bridge processors up to Core i7, as much as 1TB of storage, plus optional 32GB SSD cache drives and NVIDIA discrete graphics. Look to buy them starting today at retailers in the US and UK as well as direct from Lenovo's website at the source link.

Continue reading Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749

Lenovo U310 and U410 Ultrabooks now available worldwide starting at $749 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/sprint-galaxy-s-iii-arrives-with-google-wallet-on-june-21/

Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21

The hubbub of carriers eager to sell Samsung's quad-core beauty ain't stopping. This time, it's Sprint's turn, announcing that its version of the NFC-capable, 4G-connectable Galaxy S III will arrive Google Wallet-friendly and ready for your retail therapy starting June 21st. Two-year contracts are priced at $200 for the 16GB version and $250 for the 32GB option, although the latter will be web-exclusive. Pre-orders will start from June 5th -- in both Pebble Blue and Marble White options. Sprint gives you the hard sell right after the break.

Continue reading Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21

Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI unwraps Slider S20 hybrid tablet with Windows 8 (hands-on)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/msi-unwraps-slider-s20-hybrid-tablet-with-windows-8-hands-on/

MSI Slider S20 hands-on

MSI is well-known for showing tablets at Computex -- it even showed what amounts to the same tablets at two different shows. It's certainly shaking things up this year, however, with the Slider S20. We've seen hybrid tablet PCs before, but the Windows 8-toting S20 has a fairly slick tilting mechanism that locks the 11.6-inch touchscreen at an angle, turning the slate into a pseudo-laptop right on the spot. MSI is only willing at this early stage to mention a few key details, but it's promising at least one Slider S20 variant with a properly speedy low-voltage Ivy Bridge chip as well as 4GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI and USB 3.0. Our friends at Engadget Spanish got an early look and found the tablet a bit chunky with a so-so display, but also thought that it looked like a "robust" design. Check our overseas companions' first impressions for more, and know that the Slider S20 is expected to reach Europe in September at €899 ($1,121) in its full Ivy Bridge glory along with a lower-powered model at €799 ($996).

MSI unwraps Slider S20 hybrid tablet with Windows 8 (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday, June 03, 2012

LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/02/lg-launches-13-inch-x-note-z350-ultrabook-laptop-intel-core-i7/

LG launches 133inch X Note Z350 laptop with thirdgen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD

Evidently, "Ultrabook" isn't a "thing" in South Korea. Or, at least not in the translated press release we've just gotten our mitts on. LG is getting the weekend started right with a proper successor to the Z330, and the X Note Z350 is absolutely a looker. It's a 13.3-incher that does its best to appear just like every other Ultrabook currently on the market, boasting a typical silver motif with black chiclet keys and a glossy LCD. A smattering of palm rest stickers work to further mar things, but the third-gen Intel Core i5 / i7 within makes up for most of that. We aren't told what kind of GPU is under the hood (we're putting our bucks on Kepler, for the record), but there's room for an SSD and a built-in Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) module to beam out 1080p content sans cabling. Pricing, battery life and most other particulars are being kept under wraps for now, but we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more.

LG launches 13.3-inch X Note Z350 laptop with third-gen Intel Core power, WiDi and an SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Jun 2012 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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