Gadgets and Gizmos

MacBook Air uses the future Intel

Apple has launched MacBookAir, which is said to be the world’s thinnest notebook. MacBook Air measures 0,16 inches at its thinnest point, with a maximum height of 0,76 inches. According to Apple, MacBook Air has a 13,3 inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a full-size and backlit keyboard, a built-in insight; video camera for video conferencing, and a spacious track pad with multi-touch gesture support so users can pinch, rotate and swipe.

The MacBook Air uses the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and Intel 965GMS chipset with integrated Gfx using a new miniaturized package technology,” Intel explained. “This new CPU and chipset allows for approximately 60 percent reduction in total footprint. The Core 2 Duo Processor TDP is 20 watts. The Macbook Air is using existing Core 2 Duo technology with a lower voltage spec in a new miniaturized packaging design. It is not a ULV processor.”

Thus the CPU and chipset are both using advanced packaging technology for a smaller footprint, while still using the current generation mobile Core 2 Duo chips. Anandtech notes that the 1.6GHz chip in the MacBook Air runs at 1.0V - 1.25V, while the 1.8GHz version runs at 1.1125V - 1.25V – both less than the standard mobile Core 2 Duo, but more voltage than the Low Voltage chips.
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Iomega launches eGo Portable Hard Drive

Iomega has introduced the eGo Portable Hard Drive family with the capacities of 160GB and 250GB. The new family of hard drives is being displayed at Macworld, which is being held at San Francisco. The new eGo Portable Hard Drives family includes 160GB and 250GB models featuring dual USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 ports.

Iomega originally introduced the 250 GB, dual-interface eGo drives at last September’s Apple Expo in Paris, but is finally bringing the drives to the U.S. market. The drives will be available in black, cherry red, and alpine white enclosures, in an effort to bring some style to external storage devices.

“With the eGo Portable Hard Drive, Iomega shook up the industry by introducing fashion to a world previously known for little gray and black boxes,” said Iomega president Tom Kampfer, in a statement. The drive is also equipped with “DropGuard,” technology that can secure the drive from accidental damage caused by drops of up to 51 inches. The drive works with Mac OS X v10.1.5 or later. (more…)

Lenovo Launches Snowmountain Note Book

Lenovo has unveiled the ‘Winter Edition’ of its Y410 Audio DJ Notebook Series, aptly titled the Y410 Snowmountain Notebook.
The name has much to do with what is described as the “8000 vertical state of mind", represented by the world’s five highest summits (peaks); namely, Makalu (8463 m), Lhotse (8516 m), Kanchenjunga (8586 m), K2 (8611 m), and Chomolungma (8844 m), which are on the notebook front cover.

The Lenovo Y410 Snowmountain design notebook features AUDIO DJ capability, which allows the user to play music while the laptop is turned off. The 14.1-inch widescreen notebook has the audio function panel encased outside on the top cover and the slot-in ODD at the side panel. In addition, it also has Easy Capture, a multimedia software application for photo editing and Power to go, for reading and recording data. (more…)

Motorola unveils VoIP enabled barcode scanner

Motorola has unveiled CA50, a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)-enabled wireless scanner, which is aimed at retail, healthcare and hospitality service workers to enhance customer service.

The CA50 is the first device of its kind, allowing users to scan barcodes as well as have access to voice telephony and walkie-talkie style Push To Talk communications. The devices link to a central web server within a particular environment.

Motorola said that the CA50 VoIP-enabled barcode scanner, aimed at retail, hospitality and healthcare settings, could help improve productivity and customer service while reducing operational expenses. CA50 VoIP was demonstrated this week at the National Retail Federation’s annual Big Show event.

The CA50 can also be protected by Motorola’s innovative Service from the Start Advance Exchange maintenance program. This multi-year agreement helps protect product uptime with next-business-day device replacement. (more…)

Samsung and LaCie team on Hard Drives

LaCie has teamed-up with Samsung to develop 1.3-inch large capacity hard drives for smaller devices. This has led LaCie to introduce new 30GB and 40GB small drives in its Little Disk range. The company is also introducing an updated version of its credit card-sized USB Key Max drive. Both solutions connect to the computer using USB 2.0.

The 30 and40 GB Little Disks pack 1.3-inch, 3,600 rpm hard disk drives from Samsung, which were designed to offer the most efficient use of capacity per volume. By using this technology in these new mobile offerings, LaCie was able to see an increase in maximum capacity from 12GB to 40GB.” The Little Disk’s operate off power from a USB 2.0 port and operate without drives on Mac OS X 10.2 or newer, Windows 2000/XP/Vista, and Linux systems.

It is available in 30GB or 40GB versions, LaCie will be offering its smallest Little Disk yet, as well as an update to the credit card-sized USB Key Max. Both products are USB 2.0 powered, include their very own connection cable and are compatible with any computer running Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS X 10.2 or higher or Linux 2.4 or 2. (more…)