Is your notebook still your preferred second TV? Well, it seems you're now in the minority. The hip new way of consuming the drug of the nation -- after the 'ole tube itself -- is on a tablet, according to a recent Viacom study. Over 2,500 people were polled nationwide, and the results show a shift away from computers and smartphones to slates. Tabs made up 15 percent of full-length TV show viewings, with the increase of streaming services and companion apps being cited as contributing factors to the trend. We don't know what the fuss is about, we watch all our telly on a tablet.

Continue reading Study shows more people watch TV on tablets than computers, still nothing on

Study shows more people watch TV on tablets than computers, still nothing on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While LG neatly folded its glasses-free A540-H model into its CES line-up at the start of the year, it's now added another pair of notebooks to launch alongside it in Korea. This includes another 3D model that requires a pair of stylish squash goggles passive 3D glasses to gain that extra dimension. For those less disposed to hanging techno eye-wear off their face and watching Avatar again, there's the simpler two-dimensional joys of the A540-P, which houses a 15.6-inch AH-IPS display. All three versions house the same Core i7 processors and a GeForce GT555M for the necessary graphical grunt work. Fans of both mono and stereoscopic computing can consult the (Google-translated) press release below for more details.

Continue reading LG launches new A540-T/D 3D notebook, adds A540-P IPS model

LG launches new A540-T/D 3D notebook, adds A540-P IPS model originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In a previous life, the HP Envy 14 was a laptop's laptop: a 5.69-pound slugger with an optical drive, discrete AMD graphics and a battery that couldn't last four hours in our battery rundown test. That notebook -- one of our favorites in the 2010-2011 year -- met its fate last fall when HP redesigned its high-end Envy line, but instead of going wherever it is gadgets go to die it was reincarnated as an Ultrabook. The new Envy 14, dubbed the Spectre, has shed almost two pounds, along with its discrete graphics and outmoded optical drive. It's also one of the first 14-inch Ultrabooks to hit the market, but even if it weren't so oddly sized we'd have no trouble remembering it: after all, how many laptops have a built-in NFC chip, or a glass palm rest?

There's no doubt about it: the Spectre is a premium machine, and it's not just that HP needed something high-end to take the place of the last-gen Envy 14. This also happens to be the company's first consumer-grade Ultrabook, and it arrives at a time when there are many to choose from. Enter HP's marketing department: the outfit's touting this thing as a "premium Ultrabook" -- the kind of machine you'd choose if you wanted a 1600 x 900 IPS-quality display or an unorthodox design. For that kind of beauty, though, you're looking at $1,400 and up -- a princely cost of entry when you consider lots of similarly specced models go for $1,100 or less. But perhaps that splurge comes with more than just a head-turning design? There's only one way to find out: follow past the break for our in-depth review.

Continue reading HP Envy 14 Spectre review

HP Envy 14 Spectre review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite the fact that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is only found on a handful of Android devices — Ice Cream Sandwich penetration currently sits at 1%, just as it did more than one month ago — a new report suggests Google is preparing to launch the next major build of its mobile platform as early as next quarter. Citing unnamed sources within Taiwan-based component suppliers, DigiTimes on Thursday reports that Google is likely to launch Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) in the second quarter. While details are still limited, the report claims Android 5.0 will again focus on tablets and introduce an interesting new feature. Read on for more.

Seemingly wary about the potential threat from Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform, Google’s next-generation Android OS will feature a new dual-boot function according to DigiTimes. Jelly Bean will reportedly be optimized for tablets and it will “integrate [Google's] Chrome system functions to push dual-operating system designs.” Google is supposedly planning to encourage vendors to build dual-boot devices, which would be able to run both Android 5.0 and Windows 8.

The report also suggests Google may be eying the notebook and netbook markets with Android 5.0. Android 3.0 Honeycomb was a tablet-only OS, and Google then unified its mobile platform with Android 4.0, which is optimized for both smartphones and tablets. This new report seems to suggest Google is shifting the focus of Android 5.0 back to tablets and maybe even to notebooks in light of Chrome OS’s slow adoption.

Android 5.0 may already be facing challenges, however, as the report claims Google’s Android partners are “turning conservative about Android 5.0″ due to Android 4.0′s slow adoption thus far. A number of vendors are currently working on updating their recent devices to Android 4.0, and several Ice Cream Sandwich-powered smartphones and tablets will be unveiled later this month at Mobile World Congress.

If DigiTimes’s report turns out to be accurate, Google could be pushing Android fragmentation to new heights with Jelly Bean. Vendors like Motorola plan to roll out Android 4.0 updates for their devices over the course of the second and third quarters, and Ice Cream Sandwich may already be obsolete by the time it finally arrives on these smartphones and tablets.

Ultrabooks will remain pricey through the end of this year, with ideal pricing of $600-$700 finally being reached in 2013 according to Digitimes. Due to the high production cost associated with the computers — especially solid state drives, which are 10 times more expensive than traditional hard drive — prices are expected to remain high in order to maintain profitability. As vendors work on reducing costs, ultrabooks have chance to reach $799 in the second quarter of 2012, a significant drop from the $999 price point of the first generation models but still well above the “sweet spot” the new notebook supposedly must hit in order to be more widely adopted.

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Maingear has been tickling us with its gaming PCs for a while, and now it's adding some extra muscle to its catalog. The company's Titan 17 notebook is hitting the operating table for a processor transplant, the previous Intel i7-990X being swapped out for either the i7-3930K or i7-3960X. But what good is an internal update without some external flourish so folk know where you stand on the spec table? Maingear appreciates this, and that's why it's throwing a backlit keyboard into the mix. The souped-up Titan is up for pre-order now, with prices starting at $3,499. Tap the PR after the break for the full specs.

Continue reading Maingear's Titan 17 has a change of heart, keyboard

Maingear's Titan 17 has a change of heart, keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That Field Notes notebook you'll find in many a reporter's back pocket ensures they never miss a scoop, but it doesn't do a lot for their image. At least not as much as this clever faux-hankie notebook that complements a blazer. More »

Asus is reportedly working on Windows 8 laptops that are equipped with Microsoft’s Kinect technology. The Daily recently reported that it was able to “check out” two different prototype laptops that “appeared” to be made by Asus. The Kinect sensor was built into the area where a notebook’s camera would typically reside, and The Daily also noted a set of LEDs below the screen. Microsoft reportedly confirmed that the notebooks were Kinect-enabled prototypes. As The Daily points out, a Kinect-enabled notebook could allow a user to interact with Windows 8 or play games using motion controls, much like Xbox 360 Kinect users are able to do now. It is unclear when, or even if, the notebooks will ever be released.

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HP recently circulated a short video of a new ultra-thin notebook that is purportedly its upcoming HP Envy Spectre ultrabook. While there aren’t any specs discussed in the video, we’re definitely impressed by what appears to be a very sleek design. HP’s first ultrabook, the Folio 13, was unveiled in November and it offers the latest Intel Core processors, a 128GB SSD and more for a relatively affordable $900 price point. The Consumer Electronics Show is just around the corner so hopefully we’ll hear a bit more about the Spectre next week. The clip follows after the break.

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81% of iPad owners have paid for an application compared to just 43% of those who owner other tablets, according to a recent Citigroup survey. iPad owners also download more applications, which is not surprising given the larger selection of tablet-formatted apps in the iTunes App Store. According to Citigroup, 63% of iPad owners have purchased 11 or more applications versus 37% of non-iPad owners. Tablets have yet to gain the consumers’ respect as a work device, however. 62% of the survey respondents said they planned to purchase a tablet in the next year as a “toy or gadget.” Only 18% said they would buy one for work and just 15% thought a tablet would be capable of replacing their notebook. Citigroup’s survey found that most people (67%) actually use their tablet for general web surfing most. 30% of the respondents said they used their iPad to watch movies and TV shows using Netflix, too. Citigroup’s survey was comprised of 1,800 respondents in the United States, China and the United Kingdom.

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Laptops aren't exactly renowned for their expandability, especially those beautiful slivers of aluminum from Apple. (Simply upgrading the RAM on your Air requires you break out the soldering iron.) Magma has a solution, the ExpressBox 3T. This silver case houses its own 220w power supply and a trio of PCIe 2.0 slots. Two of those slots are of the x8 variety (though one can hold an x16 card) while the third is scaled back to x4. And they all talk to your notebook via that wonderful little port known as Thunderbolt. It even comes with a carrying case which, we suppose, makes this hunk of metal "portable," but we certainly wouldn't want to lug it around very often. Sadly there's no info just yet about price or release date, but we do have a gallery of images below and the complete PR after the break.

Continue reading Magma ExpressBox 3T gives you 3 external PCIe slots over Thunderbolt

Magma ExpressBox 3T gives you 3 external PCIe slots over Thunderbolt originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung has reportedly talked to manufacturers like Quanta Computers and Pegatron about outsourcing notebook orders. The Korean company is supposedly eyeing HP's PC business and needs outside manufacturing help. It's an interesting proposition; maybe it'll move beyond a rumor. [Digitimes] More »

When Acer unveiled its first Timeline laptops in 2009, these slim numbers felt like a revelation. Imagine: thin notebooks rated to last hours and hours on a charge and priced well under a grand! Fast-forward two years and that proposition seems a bit quaint, doesn't it? Pretty much every PC maker has been working on slimming down their wares and extending battery life with -- shall we say? -- mixed results. Still, Acer has kept on keeping, and its latest TimelineX laptops carry the torch as thin, long-lasting and inexpensive. As always, the company released Timelines in assorted screen sizes, ranging from 13.3 to 15.6 inches. We took a look at the 15-incher, the $800 AS5830, which promises to last up to nine hours unplugged and also packs a discrete graphics card - a feature many of its competitors have been skipping. But are impressive battery life and a relatively trim physique enough to make this notebook stand out in a crowded field of inexpensive, good-enough laptops? Let's see.

Continue reading Acer TimelineX AS5830TG-6402 review

Acer TimelineX AS5830TG-6402 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint will end its current port credit promotion more than a month and a half ahead of schedule. This past May, Sprint kicked off a promotion that offered up to $125 per line for new subscribers who ported their service in from another carrier. Customers purchasing a feature phone and porting in a number receive $50 per line as part of the promotion, and new customers purchasing a smartphone, netbook, notebook, tablet or mobile broadbrand device and porting in a number receive a $125 service credit per line. This enticing promotion was scheduled to run from May 4th through October 1st of this year, however BGR has learned from a reliable source that Sprint is ending the promotion early. Tomorrow, in fact. Interestingly, Sprint retail locations will no longer offer or advertise the promotion, but they will continue to honor it through the original end date. In the event that a new customer already knows about the promo — and only in that event, we’re told — Sprint will honor the deal and dole out the associated credits. With that in mind, those looking to move over to Sprint for one of its great new phones like the Motorola PHOTON 4G should be sure to mention the promotion when making a purchase at a Sprint retail location, as the promo will no longer be offered up willingly starting tomorrow.

On Tuesday, reports surfaced that Acer’s former chief executive officer Gianfranco Lanci has accepted a job at Samsung where he will lead the Korean company’s notebook business. Acer founder Stan Shih spoke with reporters during the ADOC 2.0 technology conference in Taipei on Wednesday and discussed the issue. While the move has yet to be confirmed by Samsung or Acer, Shih noted that it is common for executives to move between firms, especially for better gigs, and that the press should not be surprised. The calm remarks are a bit surprising as there is speculation that Lanci’s move could be a blow to Acer’s laptop business. Acer is currently the world’s No. 4 laptop manufacturer, trailed by Samsung in the No. 7 spot.

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Back in May, we caught a glimpse of Acer's TravelMate 8481, rocking an extra thin bezel and 13 hours of battery life for the road-weary sojourner. At the time, Acer was touting a mid-June launch, but we've just received word that the Core i7-packing notebook won't make it into carry-ons until late August. As of now, we've only got UK pricing -- £699, to be exact -- leading us to wonder when the thing will make the journey stateside. As per usual, we will keep you abreast of the details as they roll in. Until then, you can peep the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Acer TravelMate 8481 lands late August, £700 price tag in tow

Acer TravelMate 8481 lands late August, £700 price tag in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 06:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What do you do when you're a terrorist pent up in a huge, rundown compound with no phone or internet? Write down "vague, aspirational" terror plots in your notebook, the NYT reports. Like derailing a train on Christmas. More »