BenQ has come out with another one of its ultra-portable netbook in the form of the Joybook Lite U103. .

Measuring less than an inch at its thickest point, this super-slim machine sports a 10.1-inch UltraVivid LED backlit 16:9 display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, a 500GB HDD, an optional 32GB SSD, a 1.3MP webcam, a multi-touch touchpad, SRS TruSurround sound, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 3-cell battery and runs on Windows 7 OS. The Joybook Lite U103 will go on sale starting on January 4, 2010 in China, Taiwan and Thailand.
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The TM2 is the next-gen version of the TX2, also a 12.1-inch capacitive multitouch swivelling tablet. The TX2 had some issues—it was one of those 'just slap a touchscreen on Windows and now it's a tablet' tablets, which never really work that well. HP's TouchSmart software was okay, but was really better for its big brother, the all-in-one. But the TM2 is a huge step in terms of software, not least because Windows 7 is eminently more touchable than Vista or XP. The hardware is a typical bump from the TX2—same sized screen, 9-hour battery life, same chiclet-style keyboard and multitouch trackpad as the Envy line, Core 2 Duo proc and better graphics.



But what's exciting is the 'BumpTop' interface. It's essentially a desktop replacement that replicates your documents as well as various 'places' that you can toss them—toss a photo into the Facebook icon to upload it, or toss a document into the printer icon to print it. It's intuitive and works well, although it's tricky to use when the screen is flipped up in 'laptop' mode rather than down in 'tablet' mode. The TM2 also has the new TouchSmart software for things like music, video, Netflix and Hulu, which is good because they've eliminated the optical (DVD) drive. But this is still a Windows 7 tablet—it's best to think of it as a portable version of the TouchSmart all-in-ones. It's a normal computer with some fun touch extras built in.

It'll be available January 7th, starting at $950.
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I mean, it may not be touchscreen like the 4.8-inch Viliv display, but the 8-inch screen on the Vaio P does a little more to distinguish it from a smartphone. Other Viliv features include: an Intel Atom Z520 1.3GHz processor (Windows 7 Home Premium), 32GB of SSD storage, GPS, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, Bluetooth, WiFi and a microSD memory card slot. Personally, I think their upcoming 10-inch Blade netbook tablet looks more promising, although Viliv has been disappointing in the past. [UMPC Portal via Ubergizmo]
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The new HP Mini 210 is looking a lot better on the outside, with a new design, multitouch trackpad (like a miniature version of the ones in the Envy series) and new island-style (or chiclet) keyboard that's 92% the size of a standard keyboard. It's also available in craaaaazy new colors, like blue! And red! They're packing Intel's new Pine Trail Atom procs (the N450 at 1.66GHz, to be exact, with an optional Broadcom video accelerator), 10.1-inch screen, larger HDDs (160GB, 250GB and up to 320GB, which is huge for netbooks), and up to 1GB of memory (lame). The 2102 is pretty much the same internally as the 210, but with a brushed metal finish instead of the cute plasticky case of the 210.



The Mini 5102, the 'business' model, is a little confusing: It actually offers a multitouch screen like the TM2, but without the software and without the swivelling screen, so I'm not quite sure how useful it is. It has the 'premium' brushed aluminum finish and a 95% real-size keyboard, as well as a goofy handle so you can carry your netbook like a lunchbox. The 210 will start at $300, the 2102 at $330 and the 5102 at $400, with the former two available starting today and the latter sometime this month.

Let's review the concept quickly before we get into the details. The U1 is literally two separate devices, joined together and made to play nice. One is a multitouch tablet that runs Linux and has a speedily efficient Qualcomm ARM 1Ghz Snapdragon processor running the show. The other is a Windows 7 notebook with an Intel Core 2 Duo SU 4100 processor.

The build is like Lenovo's other IdeaPads, except for the translucent red top that houses the tablet. When the base and the slate are linked up, the latter acts as an 11.6-inch, 720p (1366x768) monitor that looked crisp despite being saddled with Intel's integrated graphics. The (non-chiclet) keyboard is based on the current lineup of IdeaPads, and both it and the touchpad worked smoothly. The U1 we saw wasn't set up to do much other than web browse, and pages loaded quickly. The notebook has built-in Wi-Fi, but can also run off of the tablet's 3G connection, which I can see being a pretty great benefit for times when wireless isn't readily accessible.



The fun part, though, is unclasping the tablet from its shell. It's firmly latched in, which is more reassuring than frustrating. Once removed from the notebook, there's a two or three second lag before the Snapdragon processor kicks in. It's not seamless, but it's close enough. Tablet mode greets you with a six-panel screen of apps similar to that of Lenovo's Skylight smartbook. The selection is limited for now, but Lenovo will be opening up the SDK to developers soon to give you more to play with than the standard YouTube, Gmail, and Facebook-type options.



You can also enter a type of content mode, which divides up your stored files between music, video, images, and documents. With the multitouch interface, you can quickly jump among all four, and adjust how much of the screen is devoted to each. The resistive screen was good, but not great—it at times took some pretty insistent pressing to get the response I was looking for. The viewing angles could also use work; unless you're looking nearly dead-on at the display, you're pretty much out of luck.

I was impressed by the sound quality—not excellent by any means, but better than I expected from a tablet device. One immediately obvious downside is the total absence of ports on the tablet other than the docking—there's not even a headphone jack. It's configured for Bluetooth, but I'd still like the option to plug in my buds. The tablet also currently lacks an accelerometer, so there's no way to orient documents or images based on its position. This is hopefully something that will be addressed before its release.

I said the two devices are totally separate, and I meant it. There are advantages and disadvantages to this set-up. On the plus side, while the tablet is undocked, you can hook the base up to a monitor and get full notebook functionality. If you remove it during web browsing, the tablet remembers which site you were on and places you there automatically (and vice versa). In fact, when I had Gizmodo in notebook mode and removed the slate, it automatically took me to the mobile version of Giz.

The down side is that right now, web pages are the only things that are transferable this way. If I were working on a document in notebook mode, there's no on-the-fly transition once I pop out the tablet. You can drag and drop, but a more seamless transfer would be helpful. It would also be nice to be able to control the tablet remotely with the base, but once they've separated there's no interaction between the two. Again, these are things that may or may not be addressed by the time the U1 comes out in the second half of this year.



About that release: it's up in the air right now as to when you can get your hands on one of these, because of all of the tweaks that need to be made. It will also be crucial for Lenovo to be able to build up a decent store of apps for the U1 and the Skylight if these are going to have any functionality beyond very basic web browsing and media playback. And for an estimated retail price of $999—minus whatever subsidy they're able to get from a partner carrier—that functionality had better be there.

All in all, the U1 is a slick device, if a little undercooked. If nothing else, I'm excited to see how far they can take this concept once they put it in production. But no rush, Lenovo. If you take the time get it right, it'll be something special.

It seems like everything we own these days has to be the slimmest or the smallest. We have to have the smallest phones, the slimmest computer and now even the slimmest t.v. With such an emphasis on size, there are different opportunities for things to happen. One of which being the goal of having the "Worlds Thinnest LCD". With their new 42in and 47in LCD tv's, LG has accomplished the feat of world's thinnest LCD.
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These new tv's are the thinnest 1080p LCD TV's to use edge-lit LED backlights. These tiny tots come in at an incredible 5.9mm (0.23in) of thickness. Considering these tv's are made by LG, you can bet that the company is going to incorporate some of their signature components into the tv's. Added into the tv's is LG Display's LGS, or Light Guide Sheet, Technology. This incorporation cut the thickness in half compared to the typical LGP, or Light Guide Plates.

The tv's do pretty well performance wise. They both have an improved color gamut switching from the 72% NTSC, which was standard, to 80% NTSC. The tv's have a motion picture response time (MPRT) of 8ms. This is due to the incorporation of 120Hz technology, which reduces motion blur. Both the 42in and the 47in come in with 178/178 viewing angles, 450 cd/m2 brightness, and 10-bit LCD panels. The 47in model consumes roughly 130W of power and the 42in consumes 110W.

If your worried about transporting these tv's or mounting them on your wall, thinking they are too heavy, then I can tell you there is nothing to worry about. The 42in model weighs in at around 13.42lbs (6.1kg) with the 47in coming in at 16.06lbs (7.3kg). This is half the weight of all the typical LCD TV's on the market that also use CCFL backlights.

These tv's are definitley slim. But is slim always better? I guess we will find out when these hit store shelves later on this year. .

Dell's new SX2210T Flat Panel LCD Monitor has a lot of really cool features.

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It's touch-sensitive meaning it detects your fingers vs. another pointing device close to the screen. It has tilt adjustment capability, plug and play capability, on-screen display adjustment, software documentation media, energy saving features, a security lock slot, and 2.0 mega pixel internal webcam with integrated microphone which is great for using Skype.


The monitor features a 1920x1080 resolution, including full-screen support for lower resolutions and it is 21.5 inches. It also has HDMI and DVI inputs and like the original SX2210 (which is not touch-sensitive) a 1,000 : 1 contrast ratio and 2ms grey-t0-grey response time.


The SX2210Tis now available for a mere $469 at Dell's online store and when attached to a computer running Windows 7, the accompanying multi-touch panning and zooming should work like a charm!

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Plasma television has always been the best TV to go with when wanting to watch a movie or that big football game in HD, but what about using a Plasma TV as a monitor for your computer. Does it have what it takes to beat out an LCD computer monitor?
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Well the fact is no a Plasma TV used as a monitor will not have a better resolution than an LCD Monitor. Do not get your hopes down though because even though an LCD screen supports higher resolutions than your Plasma TV you will be hard-pressed to see more detail on an LCD Monitor over a Plasma Screen. One reason you might opt to use your Plasma Screen is the fact that Plasma Screens average around the size of 40 inches compared to an LCD screen that averages around 20 inches. A Plasma TV is a great alternative to watching movies on a laptop screen. There has been many times where I have gone over to a friends house with my laptop and my friend has wanted to watch a movie that I had on my laptop. The problem was that no one in there right mind would want to watch a movie with more than one person on a laptop screen. So a quick fix for the problem was i hooked up my laptop to his Plasma TV he owns. A simple way to connect your laptop to your Plasma Screen is an HDMI Cable because most laptops have an HDMI output and if that does not work you can buy an HDMI to VGA Cable. An HDMI output can also carry audio along with the video signal so instead of listening to a movie on your crappy laptop or computer speakers you can experience the movie in surround sound or through your Plasma TV’s speakers.

Of course everything great does come with a couple drawbacks. In return for getting a brighter and richer screen with your Plasma TV is that you have to sit a little bit farther away from it than you would normally have to sit on a normal computer monitor. In return for getting a bigger screen is that the screen will be stretched in order to convert the screen over from the computers resolution to the Plasma TV’s resolution.

So the benefits are there for getting a Plasma Screen as a computer monitor, but so are the drawbacks. I personally love the site of a computer hooked up to a plasma television for a movie and such, but for everyday computing nothing is better than a 20” LCD monitor.
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The new Series 9 is Samsungs new flagship line of televisions.

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They are literally the best LCD Televisions you can buy. The series includes a 46 inch model that costs currently $2,899.99 on Amazon and a 55 inch model for $4,229.95 on Amazon. The technical names are Samsung LN55A950 and Samsung LN46A950. So what makes these televisions so special anyway? Well here is a quick look at the specs:

Native Full HD (1080p, 1920 x 1080) resolution
4ms response time
120Hz refresh rate
LED-backlit technology that makes the darkest blacks ever for a LCD
A said contrast ratio of 2,000,000 to 1
4 HDMI ports
Energy Stat compliance

The series nine also comes with all the features you expect out of a television at this price. You can basically plug anything into it and it has a bunch of features to let you stream movies from your computer onto it. The real story here though is this new back-lit technology that allows such amazing contrast ratios. Pretty much what the new back-lit technology does is on a normal LCD you constantly have the back LED’s bleeding through the blacks so you are not able to get a great contrast ratio or true black. With the back-lit technology though, the television is able to turn off the LED’s in certain areas so that you can receive true blacks. It’s a really nice feature and is the main selling point of the television. The television also looks great and it is said to be really sturdy so you wont have to worry about your new $4000 TV falling if someone accidently bumps into it. Overall the TV is a great Plasma TV alternative and is a must buy if you want the best picture possible.

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