Is this the keyboard case you're looking for? We've waited for one for months, and now someone's finally done it: an iPad case with a keyboard is finally here. Actually, it's already sold out. The KeyCase iPad Folio with Integrated Bluetooth Keyboard is a thin leather stand-type case for the iPad not unlike other cases we've seen, except with a silicone Bluetooth 2.0 keyboard built in. The keyboard recharges with Apple's standard iPad charge cable and lasts 45 hours. At the rough equivalent of 90 U.S. dollars, it's not a bad deal for a case that would always be ready to convert your iPad into a quasi-Netbook. It seems more ergonomic in landscape mode than the awkward, vertically aligned Apple keyboard dock. And the good news is that, with this on the way, more such keyboard cases should be on the horizon shortly.
Does iPad + keyboard case = goodbye, Netbook ?
Toshiba tablet details loose in the wild
We've had few details on the rumored Toshiba tablet, but now more information has been leaked to whet our appetites. Here is a brief rundown of what to expect. Toshiba Folio 100 As to when the Toshiba Folio 100 will appear and how much it will cost, that remains a mystery at this point.
(Credit: Notebook Italia)
(Credit: Notebook Italia)
ASUS Eee PC 1215N review
Our apologies for the brief history lesson, but it's actually quite important in understanding why ASUS' second generation of the 1201N is such a big deal. The 1215N has a Pine Trail 1.8GHz dual-core Atom D525 processor and NVIDIA's Ion 2 with Optimus, which no longer requires the GPU to be running the entire time and saves battery power. The $500 rig (though we're seeing it on sale for as much as $599) is still on the pricey side for a "netbook," but promises 1080p playback, seven hours of battery life and a 250GB hard drive. So, does the 1215N correct all the wrongs of the 1201N and live up to the "netbook powerhouse" title that ASUS has given it? And more importantly can it compete with some of the newer thin and light laptops, like the Dell Inspiron M101z? We found out, and we're assuming you want to as well in our full review after the break.Look and feel
We're quite content with the look of the 1215N, but the size is a bit of another story. The 1.4-inch thick system is nowhere near as svelte as the .7-inch Eee PC 1018P, and though ASUS claims it weighs 3.2 pounds it felt heavier in hand than the 11.6-inch Dell Inspiron M101z and Acer Aspire One 721. We're not saying the laptop is too heavy to carry with one hand or fit in a smaller shoulder bag, it's just a bit chunkier and heavier than we expected it to be. Of course, that means there's more room around the system for the ports; there are three USB 2.0 ports along with VGA, HDMI, mic, headphone and Ethernet jacks. The US version of the 1215N does not have a USB 3.0 port, though other SKUs overseas will have the higher speed jack.Keyboard, touchpad and screen
We have much kinder words about the 3.5 x 2.2-inch touchpad. Besides being quite wide, the plastic is soft to the touch – no, really, your finger will thank you for the nice feeling surface. As usual, the multitouch was a bit sensitive; two finger scrolling was fairly accurate, but we disabled the pinch-to-zoom setting since we kept mistakenly zooming when we just wanted to get to the bottom of a web page.
It's probably no surprise that we're not the biggest fans of the viewing angles on the 12.1-inch, 1,366 x 768-resolution display. Besides being extremely glossy, sitting to the side of the screen caused severe color distortion. Vertical angles were a bit better, but required us to tilt the screen to about 90 degrees when we wanted to sit back and watch the Scott Pilgrim trailer without causing Michael Cera's eyes to blend in with the rest of his face. Despite the viewing angles, the screen was sufficiently bright and a 1080p trailer at full screen was a very detailed. The speakers under the front lip of the machine actually sounded quite loud for a 11.6-inch and 12.1-inch laptop. Similar to the Inspiron M101z, they sounded full when listening to Ra Ra Riot's newest album in iTunes.Performance, graphics and battery life
Obviously, that bit of high definition video muscle comes from NVIDIA's second generation Ionplatform. We've been told that NVIDIA's actually using its lower-end GeForce G210 GPU, but on the laptop it appears as just "Ion." Regardless, the 1.2GHz, 16-core GPU gives Atom some serious graphics power. Before we compare it to the other platforms out there, we can tell you the GPU fired up – thanks to NVIDIA's Optimus – when playing back a 1080p YouTube clip and output some really smooth picture when we hooked the laptop up to our 40-inch HDTV. But beyond local and streaming HD content, the GPU is capable of handling some games as well. At the native resolution, our World of Warcraft gnome was prancing about the magical forest at a steady 26 frames per second. Comparatively, as you'll see in the chart below, NVIDIA's Ion 2 provided about double the performance of the previous generation and even ATI's Mobility Radeon 4225 graphics. Still, it should be noted that ATI's platform is perfectly capable of full HD playback.PCMarkVantage 3DMark06 Battery Life ASUS Eee PC 1215N 1942 181/2480 5:42 ASUS Eee PC 1201N N/A 1555 2:26 Dell Inspiron M101z (Athlon II Neo K325) 2572 1311 3:35 Acer Aspire One 721 (Athlon II Neo K125) 1814 1235 3:30 Lenovo IdeaPad U160 (Core i7 ULV) 3863 1175 3:10 ASUS UL50Vf (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300) 3724 827 / 3438 6:10 Alienware M11x (Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300) 2689 654 / 5593 4:3
So, does all that extra performance power impact the battery life? Well, the good news is that NVIDIA's Optimus has absolutely helped in that area, and when the GPU is off the battery life is pretty impressive. On our video rundown test, which loops the same standard definition video at 65 percent brightness, the six-cell 56Wh battery pushed out nearly six hours of juice – five hours and 42 minutes to be exact. That's more than double the run time of the 1201N! With the GPU on we got 2:45 hours. Still, that's significantly better than any of the AMD Nile systems we've tested lately and just as long as some single-core netbooks. We suspect that the new N550 processor will allow a system like this to get a bit more juice, but we've yet to test the processor performance yet.Software
Like a lot of the recent ASUS machines we've looked at, the 1215N comes jam packed with proprietary software and some other stuff, including a shortcut to Bonigo's WiFi service. Along with ASUS' typical EeeDock, which is locked to the top of the screen, the machine comes with ASUS' Splendid photo editing software and some new Locale program that seems to want to locate where you are using Bing maps, but didn't seem to pinpoint our top-secret whereabouts. Also, it will boot into the ExpressGate instant-on OS by pressing the small button located on top of the keyboard.Wrap-up
iPad to replace laptop within 5 years
Australian businesses will replace laptops with iPad-type devices within the next five years, according to telecommunications experts.
Rather than just an entertainment device, tablet computers like the iPad will eventually infiltrate the corporate world and become a vital business tool, according to telecommunication company Comscentre’s managing director Ben Shipley.
“From a business perspective, the iPad’s biggest limitations at the moment are its compatibility with the Microsoft Office suite and the lack of corporate grade security built in to the device,” Mr Shipley said.
“However, the iPad is very new and will only get better, particularly with competitor products, such as Cisco’s Cius business tablet due to be released.”
“Additionally, just like any other piece of technology, the suite of security products will eventually extend to the iPad which will give companies the confidence to incorporate them into their daily business,” Mr Shippley added.
Giveaway: Studded ‘Nunzia’ Laptop Bag from Shoebuy.com
Did you know Shoebuy.com sells way more than just shoes? …and I mean, way more. Do a quick search and you’ll find over 900 bags, sleeves and other stylish accessories for your laptop alone. But with a user-friendly search engine that lets you browse by brand, color, material, price and other features,shopping on Shoebuy.com is never too overwhelming, despite an inventory of over 1 MILLION products.
As an obsessive online shopper, I appreciate Shoebuy.com perks like free shipping and returns, sales tax-free purchases, and 10% cash back on ebates. And with promo codes like ”formetocoupon”, they obviously have a great sense of humor, which I love. (Not only will it get you 10% off on purchases made before 01/11/11, but it also has to be the best promo code in the history of online shopping.)
I truly dig the site so when they agreed to do a geekGLOSS giveaway, I was ecstatic so this week, we’re giving away one of the most fabulous laptop bag styles that Shoebuy.com has to offer: the Nunzia “Bellagio” – a $129 value!
This stylish bag easily fits your laptop (up to 15.4″), documents, files, and other work essentials, but is so spacious, it can even double as an overnighter! An elegant cream color and studded details keep the bag stylish, while a lightweight design, organizer section and plenty of accessories — a zip-top cosmetic bag, detachable cell phone and CD case with wristlet, and a removable padded laptop sleeve — keep it functional.
Leave a comment telling us which website you love to shop most, and you’ll be entered to win the Nunzia “Bellagio” Laptop Bag from Shoebuy.com. Ends Monday, August 30th at noon PT. Good luck!
PS: I’m serious about Shoebuy.com being an online mecca for laptop bags and cases — here are a few of other Shoebuy picks that I can’t resist:
| “Black Orchard” Sleeve by Laurex ($45) |
| “Tina” Metro Brief by Sumdex ($73) |
| There’s plenty of stuff for the guys, too… |
Gaj-it Review of SMT Jacket Laptop Bag
International Laptop bag creators STM, have a new line of stylish, rugged, hardwearing, lightweight laptop bags. Founded in 1998 outside Sydney Australia in a trendy Bondai Beach suburb. Their mission remains the same to this day; they want to come up with a more comfortable, secure and stylish means of transporting your laptop. After all, laptops range can from £250 up to £2000 – so keeping your laptop safe when in transit can be a very important. With a range of products and prices to suit all – they make some of the best laptop bags we have ever laid our eyes on. Whether you need a back-pack, shoulder bag, sleeve or even a all-in-one suitcase solution – look no further than SMT. We got hold of one of their new laptop bags, to be specific the Jacket Small to review. So, we packed some sandwiches and went out for the day to see how good the Jacket Small handles the hustle and bustle of city life with our Macbook in hand. Review The Jacket Small comes in couple of colours and is perfect for someone who wants to travel fast with a slim and elegant laptop bag, it comes in five sizes – and is perfect for a iPad or laptop. It’s made from a hardwearing nylon for the exterior and a smooth soft brushed polyester for the inside. We got hold of one of the 13-inch bags and it was perfect snug fit for our 13-inch Macbook. It’s lined with super soft silky interior, which will protect your pride and joy, keeping it clean and scratch free. Which is especially important if you have a Mac as they can pick up scratches quite easily. It packs two pockets on the front one zippered front pocket, which was perfect for our charger and has another smaller slot only pocket for your mobile phone allowing for quick and easy access. On the other side, there is a simple slot for all your important paper work. The Jacket Small seems to cover every base really well taking the traditional envelope design to next level. Other notable inclusions coming in the form of a fantastic removable and adjustable should strap, something that traditional envelope cases don’t have. Now your hands will be free to tackle world, without having to have the laptop under your arm if you need to do something. They have also included a very strong carry handle in the top of the case and from the looks of the construction you’ll be able to carry it come rain or shine with confidence. We Say STM have come up trumps with the Jacket Small, and having looked on their web store they have over 50 different bags for all sizes, laptops and situations. We wouldn’t hesitate to go as far as saying this is the best laptop case we have seen so far. Our current sleeve case has been blown out of the water, and we won’t be going back. For long lasting laptop bag that protects your most important gadget, you can’t go wrong with STM and any of their bags. Well-made, stylish and at sensible prices – STM are the company we would recommend for all your laptop case and bag needs. Gaj-it Rating Buy Now You can buy their cases and bags from the Apple Store or online here.
Overview
10/10 (We love it!)
A carry-on bag with foldaway seat
What it is: A carry-on-size bag with — get this — a foldaway seat. And it’s a real carry-on size, not a bloated bag that requires a jackhammer to jam it into an overhead bin. It measures 22 inches by 12 inches by 8 inches and includes a laptop pocket. Weight: 6.8 pounds. The nylon cover is water repellent.
How it works: The surprisingly comfortable, stable 9-by-9-inch seat folds flat against the underside of the bag and deploys with the push of a button.
The good: On a plane/train/car trip along the West Coast, the seat was a godsend at crowded airport gates and while I was waiting for a ferry on a benchless dock. At one airport, I sat comfortably on it for an hour. One 201-pound skeptic sat on the chair, figuring he would break it. No problem. The specs say the seat can hold up to 300 pounds. I also packed an eight-day vacation into the bag, using my briefcase for overflow. Into the bag went two guide books, two pairs of shoes, two pairs of pants, six shirts, swim trunks, and four pairs of socks and underwear. The bag probably could have held a tad more. The bag rolled more easily on the four 360-degree wheels upright, as it was designed to, than on two as a drag bag. The wide handle locks in place at several levels and makes for stable, easy pulling, actually providing enough support to lean on. The bag can easily detach from the frame for use, say, as a beach bag or shopping bag. The ultimate praise: I am buying one — maybe two, because my wife likes it as well.
The bad: Many people asked about the bag at airports, saying they liked it, but some said they would want a larger version. Frankly, the way the airlines are going with fees, I would prefer to play it safe with this smaller version, staying under the radar and within carry-on regulations. Bigger bags wouldn’t meet those specs if airlines decided to enforce them.
Cost: $165
Where to get it: walkinbag.com
— Ross Werland, Chicago Tribune
15.6" Intel Pentium T4400 / 2.2 GHz, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD - Samsung R530
AnyPC - With an innovative remote PC function, easily access your home or office PC from your notebook. FailSafe - Whether lost or stolen, the FailSafe theft deterrence service lets you track the location of your missing computer as well as lock the device and encrypt, manage, retrieve or erase vital data. SAMSUNG Recovery Solution - Peace of mind is here in the form of SAMSUNG's Recovery Solution. It automatically and regularly backs up your PC data to the hard drive. So you can quit worrying and quit manually backing up your files. Multi-touch Touchpad - The Multi-touchpad does everything a mouse does and then some. Move your finger along the touchpad edges to scroll vertically and horizontally or use the unique Chiral Scroll function to cover lots of ground quickly.
Loaded with style and packed with powerful features, the Samsung R530 is a true value of the mobile computing world.
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