ASUS' Chromebook C300 is yet another well-made budget laptop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/03/asus-chromebook-c300-hands-on/

Lenovo, HP and other big-name laptop makers are on board; now ASUS is embracing the Chromebook movement with its first two laptops running Google's browser-based software. The 11.6-inch Chromebook C200 is already available for pre-order, but its larger sibling, the C300, has yet to received a launch date. Still, the 13.3-inch laptop is here at Computex, and I spent a few minutes playing with the $249 device.

At just over 3.1 pounds, it's not feather-light, but the C300 still feels very manageable. The chiclet keyboard is well-spaced and comfortable overall. Design-wise, there's not much to distinguish this laptop from the growing list of Chromebooks, though it does run Intel's new Bay Trail-M chip under the hood. Based on a few minutes of use, nothing about the C300 stands out as particularly remarkable; instead, it looks to be the latest addition to a sea of well-made, cheap laptops -- possibly with a small performance edge thanks to its latest-gen processor. ASUS says the C300 will go on sale soon, so stay tuned.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Filed under: Laptops, ASUS

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Intel's Windows 8.1 Pro Broadwell tablet is thinner than the iPad Air

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/03/intel-llama-mountain-prototype/

When Intel announced the new 14nm Core M (Broadwell) processor to enable thinner, fanless convertible devices, I knew the "Llama Mountain" reference design would be impressively svelte. But hearing a spec is different than seeing it; this laptop-tablet hybrid is insanely skinny. At 7.2mm (0.28 inch), the slate is thinner than the iPad Air (7.5mm), and it's also significantly lighter than two-in-one devices already on the market; it's a notebook-class PC running Windows 8.1 Pro, yet it weighs just 1.47 pounds, compared to 1.76 pounds for the Surface Pro 3.

The prototype's light and slim footprint is made possible the Core M's efficiency and low heat production -- the chip allows for a fanless design. Despite its slimness, the slate can fit a 32Wh battery, which should get you at least eight hours of regular use on a full charge. Of course, different OEMs may opt to use a different-sized fuel pack, so once devices running the Core M come to market we could see even longer run times.

ASUS announced its own similar computer at Computex yesterday -- the Transformer Book T300 Chi -- which you'll actually be able to pick up in stores, unlike Intel's reference design, which won't ship to consumers. The ASUS slate, which is only a hair thicker at 7.3 millimeters, also includes a 12.5-inch touchscreen. The Chi's display features a 2,560 x 1,440 display, and while Intel reps were unable to confirm the Llama Mountain reference design's resolution, it's not unreasonable to expect a similar pixel density from other manufacturers.

Since we're talking about a device category that's part-work, part-play, it's only natural that Intel's reference design includes a separate media dock. To that end, the base of the device -- the only edge that isn't hair-thin -- is just barely thick enough to accommodate the requisite dock connector, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB 3.0 post. It's kind of hard to imagine tablets getting even skinnier, but with Intel's ever-evolving technology, they probably will. For now, though, we can all look forward to carrying a tablet (and keyboard base) that's shockingly thin.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Intel

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ASUS' GX500 gaming laptop has a 4K screen and is just 19mm thick

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/02/asus-gx500/

Remember the ASUS NX500, that super-thin, MacBook Pro-inspired laptop we saw yesterday? (Now you do.) Well, then: This right here is its macho, gaming-obsessed cousin, the GX500, which just made its debut here at Computex. Like the NX500, it's a 15.6-inch notebook coming in at just 19mm (0.75 inch) thick and 2.2kg (4.85 pounds). Spec-wise, too, it packs a Core i7 processor and a 3,840 x 2,160 display that covers 100 percent of the NTSC color gamut. The difference? It purrs along with heavier-duty NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M graphics. Oh, and the chassis is black with industrial red accents, making it less of a MacBook clone. No word yet on how much it will cost or when it will be available, but it seems to us this should make for a compelling Razer Blade competitor. Hopefully we can review one soon enough and decide for ourselves.

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops, ASUS

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âIntel launches Core M processors for even thinner 2-in-1 PCs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/03/intel-new-2-in-1-reference-pc/

At Intel's keynote presentation here at Computex, president Renee James is set to show off Intel's mobile future: a 2-in-1 reference PC powered by the company's new 14nm Intel Core M processor. (Note: it's actually a fifth-generation Core processor, even though the slide shown below says "fourth.") 14nm processors means less energy use and, when the buck stops, longer battery life -- something we can never get enough of. We're still waiting to see what that design will look like exactly, but we do know it'll be a hybrid tablet-laptop, measuring in at 7.2mm thick (keyboard detached), while a companion media dock will apparently offer extra cooling (and a performance burst).

Update: As teased, in the flesh it's a very thin tablet, with no fans to see. Intel's president also teased the companion docks, although we only saw a glance of the keyboard add-on. Thankfully, it looked at thick enough to handle a bit of typing.

It's not the first appearance of Intel's new Broadwell chips: Intel boss Brian Krzanich showed off a more vanilla laptop running on the chips late last year. Regardless, Intel says the series is set to be its most energy-efficient Core processor yet, and that the majority of the hardware running on the chip will be fanless, as well packing hybrid functionality -- which explains why the reference design took the shape it did. As you can see above, Intel's Core M family will offer around a 20 to 40 percent performance improvement, while SOC power could be up to 45% less, while producing 60 percent less heat -- thus the fanless design. The new processor will also take up around 50 percent less space inside devices, whether that's a tablet, a laptop or both.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Intel

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Google Glass And Diane Von Furstenberg Introduce Thirteen Extravagant High Fashion Frames

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/new-google-glass-frames-dvf-2014-6

Get ready for your close up, Glass wearers: New frames are on their way, and they're made especially for the fashion-savvy. 

Mashable reports Google later this month will be launching a new collection of frames and shades Glass in collaboration with American fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.

This is in addition to the announcement from Google in March on its partnership with eyewear giant Luxottica, which will give Glass Ray-Ban and Oakley-branded frames.

Five new frames and eight new shades will be available through the Google Glass website and Net-a-Porter starting on June 23.

Google Glass, available to the public, costs $1500 but the price for Google Glass with the new prescriptive lenses will be a little bit higher at $1,725. Glass with DVF-branded shades will cost $1,620. 

Here are some of the frames. Could you see yourself wearing any of these?

 

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