Sony drops an eco-friendly netbook: the W Series Eco 212AX
Tom on January 08, 2010
Some would say that Sony represents the archetypal Japanese technology company: big, powerful, rich, and largely uncaring about the environment. Sony are looking to change this image today, though, with the introduction of a new model of their recent W-Series netbook line, in the form of the Sony Vaio W Eco Edition 212AX.
The Eco Edition moves away from the older, standard W-Series netbook with the introduction of environmentally-friendly packaging made from recycled plastic bottles – which is apparently reusable (for what, we ask?) – plus a chassis that is made of 23% recycled plastic. Don’t worry about flimsiness, though – Sony’s sure the Eco Edition retains their trademark build quality.
Just to remind users that they are in fact using an environmentally-friendly computer, the Eco Edition 212AX is offered in a friendly white and light lime green colour combination. While this should appeal to younger or eco-conscious users, it may be a turnoff for otherwise professional or power users.
Apart from the feel-good eco features, though, the Vaio W Eco Edition 212AX offers some really useful tech, as well. There’s a nice 10.1-inch LED backlit display, which cuts down on power use but also improves lighting, and a generous 250 GB hard drive – no standard SSDs here unlike its big brother, the Vaio Z.
The Vaio W 212AX will include Windows 7 Starter Edition, and it will weigh in at around 1.17 kg (2.6 lb) with the standard battery. While it’s available for pre-sale at Sony Style stores in the USA, you’ll also find it online retailing for US$480.
Sony’s Vaio Z notebook brings high performance, standard SSD drives
Tom on January 08, 2010
In a rash of notebook announcements today at the International CES, Sony have started the party by issuing a revitalised model of their business staple, the Vaio Z series. It’s a thin-and-light 13-incher that offers a choice of speed or stamina (literally – through a switch).
The Z-Series is updated from the similar 2009 model, but shares similar integral specifications. The Z remains equipped with a 13.1-inch 16:9 LED backlit display, an optional Blu-Ray drive, and user-switchable power consumption modes for choosing between performance or battery stamina.
Sony’s typically impressive design remains with the Z – it might not be as thin as some competitors, but the smart chicklet keyboard, solid construction, and the Z-hallmark power button in the hinge set it apart. There’s even a choice of colour between silver or dark grey.
Where the Vaio Z differentiates between its competitors for this year is mainly with the inclusion of a standard solid state storage drive, succeeding once-and-for-all in this model line, previous hard-drive based storage. The solid state drives available on the Z provide capacity up to an optional 512 GB drive.
In terms of connectivity, Sony is offering built-in Wireless-N spec wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and the inclusion of 3G Mobile Broadband which will be provided by Verizon Wireless in the US.
Release dates for the Australian market aren’t confirmed as yet, but the updated Vaio Z line will launch in Q2 2010, retailing for “about US$1,900″ in the USA. Australians should expect to pay at least A$2,499 when this baby hits stores later this year.
Palm enters deal with Verizon and SFR, spits out Pre Plus and Pixi Plus
Tom on January 08, 2010
Palm, the American smartphone manufacturer, who turned around its fortunes last year with the introduction of the highly popular Pre smartphone for the Sprint wireless service in the USA, have expanded their carrier portfolio today at CES.
Today Palm has announced that they have new deals with two extra carriers: Verizon Wireless in the USA, and Vodafone-owned SFR, a French carrier.
Verizon will score big-time from the new deal with Palm; they have scored an updated version of the popular Pre slider-smartphone, dubbed the Pre Plus. While the Pre Plus looks nearly identical to last year’s Pre, power-users will enjoy the doubling of internal memory to 16 GB, a standard back cover that works with Palm’s wireless Touchstone charging platform, and of course service from Verizon – a carrier that offers very good coverage across the contiguous United States.
The other noticeable change for the Pre Plus is the deletion of the spherical navigation button below the display that featured on the original Pre. The front of the rounded display is now free of clutter, save for the sharp, 3.1-inch 320×480 display and the in-call speaker.
Engadget reports that the Pre Plus has an improved slider mechanism, a ’snappier and clickier’ keyboard, and fairly impressive 3D graphics performance.
The other news, product-wise, is the announcement of an update to the (already very new) Palm Pixi. Also dubbed ‘Plus’, the Pixi Plus retains the same shape and feature-set as the Pixi that debuted for the Sprint service, but the Plus offers WiFi connectivity – a nice bonus for users with home or office wireless internet.
There’s no word yet on what SFR, the French wireless operator, that also signed a deal with Palm recently, will receive after today’s announcements.
Both the Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus will be offered on the Verizon service starting January 25. There’s no word on price, yet, but it should arrive in the next couple of days.
Palm Pre Plus press shots
Palm Pixi Plus press shots
Google launches first Nexus One advertisement (with video!)
Tom on January 07, 2010
Google’s first ad for the Nexus One, the new Android 2.1 touchscreen smartphone, which you can enjoy below, is a two minute short which combines both technical jargon (including the exact screen resolution!) with simple-to-understand keywords advertising the main features of this unique phone from Google.
Clearly, this ad is targeted at a number of people: regular phone users, tech-minded consumers, and developers – with a quiet, but perhaps a little cheap shot at Apple with the “developer freedom” slide.
The Motorola Backflip smartphone brings a distinctive form to Android
Tom on January 07, 2010
There have been a few phones in the last decade that have offered truly distinctive form factors. Think the Nokia E70, or the LG EnV series, which were massively popular with the texting-teen generation, in the days PCIB (Pre Cheap iPhone & BlackBerry).
Devices to feature Google’s Android smartphone operating system have thus far been fairly regular in terms of form. Of course, at the time, the T-Mobile G1 (the original Android phone) had a cool form factor (a horizontal sliding QWERTY keyboard). But since that time, we’ve seen only a mix of candybar, slate, and slider style Android phones.
Today, Motorola is changing all that with the introduction of their third Android-based smartphone, the Motorola Backflip. It took me a while to understand the form factor, but the story goes like this. The Backflip folds – and when closed, it has the keyboard on the front and touchscreen on the back. To open, you slide the screen up and ‘backflip’ it around to face you.
Motorola assures us that the keyboard is durable enough to take a few knocks, but according to sources on the scene, the keyboard has worse travel than the flat-keyed, and more famous, Motorola Droid (the first ’super’ Android phone which debuted in November)
The Backflip must have missed the Android 2.0 / 2.1 boat, as it currently includes Android 1.5 with the Motoblur skin. Don’t worry – Motorola’s Sanjay Jha says Android 2.1 is coming to each Motorola Android phone. The Motorola Backflip also features a 5-megapixel camera, WiFi, and a black and silver colour scheme.
Most likely, the Backflip will launch first on Canada’s Bell Mobility network, in the not-so-distant future. If an educated guess suffices on pricing (details aren’t available just yet), Bell should subsidise the Backflip for around CAD$99.
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