It took two reports of batteries causing flames for Hewlett Packard to recall the batteries. The company is taking back 70,000 batteries on its laptops. The laptop models that were affected were in both the HP and the Compaq laptop lines. There’s a total of 18 models that were affected with 9 being HP and 9 begin Compaq models.
So what happened? There were two different cases where the batteries overheated and ruptured. Now overheating just came from normal use of the laptop and battery so there’s no reason that it should have happened if it had been manufactured properly.
The fires caused some minor property damage but no one was injured luckily. Which is surprising because you would think someone would possibly have the laptop on their lap when the overheating occurred. If they didn’t have it on their laps then the real question is where was the laptop? Is it possible that they put the laptop on a blanket or something that contained heat that lead to the overheating? I guess we may never know however you would think that they would have any battery problems solved after all this time. We’ve been using batteries for several years now and laptops have been around for over a decade. So why are we still having such basic problems with things that have been around?
In any case this isn’t the first time HP has been in a battery recall and it probably won’t be the last. While HP sold 32,000 laptops containing the batteries that’s a small number compared to when Sony had their massive battery recall back in 2006. If you’re worried that you may have one of these batteries or laptops you can get a full list of model numbers at the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website.
Source: CNET

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The appearance of V12 Design’s dual LCD concept astonished many, but here’s what will even surprise you. The almost crazy dual screen mobile computer is apparently close to production.

Dubbed as the Canova, the laptop design in Italy features an LCD replacing traditional keyboard and trackpad. There are no information about the specs and innards of this new machine, heck their official site contains no more than flashy images of the design. But still that is more than enough to keep excited enthusiasts to gossip about the dual LCD laptop.

Estari, an American company will be bringing the laptop closer to your offices and home. There are rumors that its cost would be around $400, again this is still an unofficial announcement.

For more pictures and teasers, you can head on to their official website at estari.com

Source: Engadget

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Viliv S7 was first announced on a developers’ forum August last year, but only during the CES that the existence as well as the specs of the computer is made official.

The Viliv S7 has long been in the watch list of tech bloggers and enthusiasts, and there are very good reasons for this. Primarily, analysts eye Viliv as Sony Vaio P’s true rival. If it is comparable to that classy laptop, then it means that this computer has a few tricks up its sleeves.

Viliv S7 will make you believe that good specs can be package into one small box with ratable screen. This computer packs Intel Atom Silverthorne running at 1300 Mhz with 200 long hours of standby time. The 7” screen display is combined with 1024 MB RAM and Intel GMA 500 GPU. It has a complete connectivity option support like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 and 3G.

It also has ‘Blueray HD Video Playback,’ a hsardware that has video decoding capabilities. It is equipped to handle 1080p.

Don’t get too excited as the price and release date of Viliv S7 is still unknown. At least we are now all sure that it will be out in the market soon.

Source: UMPC Portal

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Acer is not letting its brand be boxed with netbooks and cheap computers. Just recently, the number one seller of netbooks in the world released an ultra advanced quad-core Aspire.

The Aspire 8930G laptop is a monster with Core2 Quad Mobile Processor Q9000. it has a sleek screen size of 18.4 inches and yet the power that is has is more monstrous compared to its bigger counterparts.

Acer targets 3D gamers and other hardcore users with this new unit. Backing the quad-core is 12MB of shared L2 cache and 1066MHz Front Side Bus that appears overclocked (even though it is not) at 2.53GHz.

Apart from the superior innards, Aspire 8930G also boasts its widescreen full HD screen. Matching this display is a Blu-ray drive, NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT graphics card and Dolby Home Theatre audio system to give you that complete mobile entertainment system.

Aspire 8930G will be available initially in US for $1800. Availability in US and other parts of the globe will immediately follow.

Source: TechRadar

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Orange is giving away a free Asus mini laptop that is if you subscribe to their 24-month broadband contract.

The Asus unit is Orange’s first Sim-embedded laptop and it will be available for free if you sign-up for £25 ($40) per month. A 24 month contract totals to £600 or $960.

Orange as of this writing has two mobile broadband offers. The company currently has a mobile broadband subscription for £15 a month. The subscription plan comes with a free dongle and a discounted Asus Eee mini laptop.

Vodafone is currently the only network that offers laptop with an embedded Sim card. Orange currently has limited the offer of the same workstation to business users only.

Source: Mobile Today

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The first prototype of laptop fuel cell made by Panasonic was bigger than the laptop that it is supposed to provide power to – that isn’t the case anymore. The company was able to reduce the size of this power battery by more than 50%.

This is what revealed by the Japanese company after the prototype methanol fuel cell received a warm welcome from green technology enthusiasts. The fuel cell was first shown at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2006 and since then; the company did not stop working on the wonder battery.

The new prototype version sports a smaller 270 cubic centimers. This batter can provide power between 10 to 20 watts. According to the company, the battery weighs 320 grams. This battery can provide more than 20 hours of straight power source for any laptop.

The company also boasted their stand alone DMFC or direct methanol fuel cells charger. It has USB power outlets and can provide power for many portable devices such as PSP and iPod.

These new products will be first shown to the public this coming Hydrogen Energy Advanced Technology Exhibition 2008 in Wednesday

Source: PC World

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HP makes its small laptop even smaller. The company overhauled its HDX 18 to make it HDX 16, equivalent to a transformation of its 18-inch display in a 16-inch LCD.

The smaller screen perhaps made it cuter and yet the metallic finish and classy chrome interior still makes this laptop gorgeous. The laptop now weighs 7.4 pounds with a 6-cell battery. Buyers have the option to upgrade its power source into either a 12 or a 16-cell battery.

The laptop suffered a slight loss in resolution quality. From 1080p it now has a 1,366-by-768 screen resolution.

The HDX 16 however packs a powerful machine inside. It is powered by Intel’s Centrino 2. It has a 2.26-GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 processor that is backed by 4GB DRR2 RAM. Its nVidia GeForce 9600M GT engine should be enough for small graphic rendering.

The HDX1 is available with 320GB storage, an optional TV tuner and a fast eSATA port.

One amazing thing about this laptop is the number keypad. HP placed a whole functional num pad on the left side of the keyboard to give you that perfect PC experience.

On related news, HP will also be releasing HP Pavilion dv6929wm-b, a special laptop that will be available exclusively in Wal-Mart. This laptop is part of HP and Wal-Mart’s green drive.

HP Pavilion dv6929wm-b runs on a 2-GHz AMD Turion X2 TL-60 processor. It has a 250GB hard drive and is bundled with a Windows Vista Home Premium OS. It is also packed with a savvy nVidia GeForce Go 7150 integrated graphics chipset inside. It is tagged at $1,049.

HP is yet to announce the price of HDX 16.

Source: PCMag

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Mobile gamers will have a new gadget of interest. This is the Asus G50V, the company’s latest gaming laptop.

G50V is a high-powered machine that wields a 15-inch screen that showcases a 1680×1050 default resolution. The gaming laptop boasts a processor of 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9400. Its memory of 4GB running at 800MHz undoubtedly makes it fast. It carries one of the best Nvidia graphics engine, the GeForce 9700M GT with 512 MB of DDR3 memory. It has a hard drive of 500GB.

Asus’ new laptop is not an ordinary laptop. It has an automatic overclocking function that turns the CPU into a Turbo mode. Players only need to push a button to activate this feature. Gamers can also hold onto the headset to activate Turbo Extreme mode.

G50V also carries a 2.0 MP built in webcam. It is decorated with LEDs along side the screen.

But this laptop is not just all about gaming. G50V also sports other mobile computer functions like Express Gate button, facial recognition system, HDMI-out and an eSATA port.

G50V is out now and can be bought with a DVD burner for $1,699. A version boasting Blu-ray system with 200BG storage is sold for $1,899.

Source: News CNET

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Commodore now joins the bandwagon of Netbook manufacturers. And why not, since they came up with a competitive Commodore UMMD 8010/F, Netbook buyers will now have another great option in their list.

The company announced their new mini laptop at the IFA consumer show in Berlin. Reports indicated that the UMMD will be powered by a C7-M processor, running at 1.6GHz. The internal storage boasts 80GB capacity. It has a 1GB RAM. Connectivity will not be a problem with an 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and optional Bluetooth. The netbook sports a 10-inch display LCD and 1.3-megapixel built-in camera.

The Commodore UMMD 8010/F is the latest addition to the Netbook market that is initiated by Asus’ Eee PC.

Netbooks sport low-power processors, small screens and keyboards. But their efficiency and low price ticks the heart of many computer and gadget enthusiasts.

The Commodore UMMD 8010/F sports a nostalgic appeal. A perfect irony since the brand Commodore is best related to the iconic 1980s computers like the C64 and the Amiga. Yeahronimo Media Ventures, a Dutch company purchased the rights to the name with a goal of resurrecting an old glory.

Commodore UMMD 8010/F will be sold for $610.

Source: Crave CNet

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Lenovo improved its ultraportable Thinkpad X300 thru the introduction of X301. Thinkpad X301 boasts more advanced features compared to its predecessor.

The new Thinkpad sports a lightweight design, tipping the scale at less than three pounds. At one-inch thickness, X301 is sleek and stylish. Users can go for the basic 64B solid state drive storage or they can purchase the upgraded version with 128GB. Study revealed that the X301 is 20% more efficient in terms of speed and power consumption compared to the earlier X300. X301 is equipped with the latest DDR3 memory and IntelCore 2 Duo processor.

Thinkpad X301 is also packed with productivity tools from ThinkVantage Technologies. It has Lenovo’s improved Access Connections tools that give the mobile computer a friendly interface. It also has a more controllable and customizable laptop functions that allow superior power management.

The laptop is Wi-Fi enabled and has Bluetooth connection. The Thinkpad X301 is at par with the best when it comes to wireless connectivity. Future Thinkpad X301 versions will also come with WiMAX feature.

The laptop also carries features to support mobile entertainment. It has DisplayPort, a feature that makes viewing of high definition movie and images easier. The DisplayPort, combined with standard VGA enables the user to select different display options.

ThinkPad X301 will hit stores on August 26. It will be tagged at $2,599.

Source: CRN

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