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Gadgets Google

Google Chrome OS Laptop – Features & Availability

Google has unveiled its upcoming CR-48 Chrome OS laptop. Right now, it is simply an unbranded model that is available for public testing – like all their web products. Branded Chrome OS laptops from companies like Acer and Samsung are expected to be available as late as mid of 2011.

So how do you get into public beta? Well, like it has always been for most of Google’s products – you have to apply to join Google’s public Pilot program. A limited number of beta laptops will be made available through the next few months and the company will get feedback from these individuals and businesses who may get the initial beta release.

Google Chrome OS Laptop CR-48

The specs of the upcoming laptop looks impressive. It features a 12.1″ screen along with a full-size keyboard, large clickpad and is equipped with a Qualcomm Gobi 3G chip. Besides this, there is also 802.11 dual band Wi-Fi connectivity, web cam and flash storage. The Chrome OS laptop is expected to last 8+ hours of active use an over 8 days of standby.

If you were wondering, the keyboard is the same as what we wrote about a few days back – a dedicated search button along with individual buttons for moving forward and backward while surfing the web.

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Gadgets Google

Google Chrome OS Keyboard To Feature Dedicated Search Button

Google could be taking the wraps off its Chrome OS netbook come tuesday. And apart from the software and back-end hardware that will be the focus of discussion, one another aspect that is already doing the rounds is a slightly refurbished keyboard.

According to reports, the keyboard for the upcoming Google Chrome OS netbook could come with  a dedicated button for Google search. This button is expected to replace the CAPS-lock key on the left-hand side of the keyboard. While it is not clear, it is possible that the Caps-lock function could now be invoked by using the Shift+Search combination.

Google Chrome OS netbook keyboard

Apart from the search button, another change in the keyboard layout that we have noticed is the forward and backward button on top of the keyboard along with several other control functions. These are located at the position where you normally have the function keys. While it may sound like simply reinventing the wheel, Google could be simplifying internet surfing by offering these controls on the keyboard thus making the process all the more mouse-free.

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Gadgets Google

Google ChromeBook Launching Privately In December?

Earlier this week, we got word from the Google HQ that Chrome OS was behind schedule at the moment and so netbooks running Chrome OS may not be coming this year. However, this does not mean we will not hear anything at all about the new platform.

According to a fresh rumor, Google could be “dog fooding” its new ChromeBook computer to “friends and family” of its employees during the holiday season. Dog fooding is a term used inside Google for public testing of its unreleased products. You may remember that the Nexus One too was rumored to have been released among employees in December last year before the public launch happened in January.

Google is reported to have ordered close to 75,000 such devices and while not too much of specifications related information is available right now, we do hear it will run on Intel Atom Pine Trail processor and is being manufactured by Taiwanese ODM Inventec.

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Asus Gadgets

Asus Eee PC 1015PN Pre-Orders Open Now

ExcaliberPC, the online store for netbooks and computers have announced that they now have the new Asus Eee PC 1015PN up for pre-order now. The exact launch date is not displayed as yet on the product page though we have heard in the past that the launch shall happen before the end of October.

This is what the Asus Eee PC 1015PN is all about. Firstly, this is a netbook with a good 10″ display. Other specfications on the netbook include a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core CPU, an NVIDIA ION graphics card with 512MB RAM, another 1GB DDR3 RAM, a 250GB hard drive and a 0.3 megapixel camera. The device includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and is pretty good on the pockets at just around $429.

Check out the other specifications and ordering information at the product page here.

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Gadgets

Fujitsu LifeBook T580 Review And Video Demo Of Features

A new Fujitsu LifeBook convertible mini-laptop is hitting the shelves. The new T580 is a netbook that comes with a swivel-based design that can make the device double up as a touchscreen tablet. But it is worth noting that the device might not be offering you the same experience that a real tablet PC like a Samsung Galaxy Tab or iPad may offer since the physical keyboard gets the device pretty thick in tablet mode. Nevertheless, the features are definitely worth a look.

This new Fujitsu LifeBook T580 comes with a 10.1″ resistive touchscreen display that supports multitouch. The device is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and includes all the regular netbook features including GPS and 3G connectivity. An interesting feature is the ambient light sensor that will adjust the brightness of the screen according to the surroundings. The LifeBook T580 runs on Windows 7 Professional operating system and will be equipped with a battery power backup of up to 8 hours. Here’s a video of the convertible netbook in action.

Fujitsu is yet to announce the price of the LifeBook. The device reminds me of the Haier X220P tablet.

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Acer Gadgets

Acer Aspire One Happy Review Of Features

Acer has launched a new Aspire One netbook. Before you get excited, you must note that this is merely a rebranded version of the Acer Aspire One D255 that I had written about recently. However, it comes in some attractive colors and is definitely worth checking out.

Like the AOD255, the new Acer Aspire One Happy has a 10.1″ display and is powered by an 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor. The device is equipped with a good 1GB DDR2 RAM and contains a 160GB hard drive storage. The operating system is Windows 7 Starter Edition.

To be clear, this is not the finalized specs and there are likely to be a few changes. Also, there is no word on the pricing and it is not known if the Acer Aspire One Happy will sell at the same $375 price point. Eitherway, check out the pictures below. You are bound to like it.

Acer Aspire One Happy

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Gadgets

New Gigabyte T1005M Features And Price In Australia Announced

Gigabyte is launching a new netbook for the Australian market that will build upon the features that were available on the T1000 TouchNote series. The new Gigabyte T1005M will bring an Intel dual core processor along with a few other impressive pieces of hardware that will make the AUD 905 price point appear pretty reasonable.

The T1005M will include a 10.1-inches capacitive touchscreen display that comes packed with 1366×768 pixels. This will be supplemented by a 2GB DDR3 RAM, a 320GB hard drive and a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 dual core processor. Besides this, the netbook will be equipped with 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1, built-in HSDPA antenna and ports for USB 3.0 and eSAA. The Gigabyte T1005M will run on Windows Home 7 Premium and will come with a good battery life powered by a 6 cell 7650mAh battery.

Gigabyte T1005M

The specs are definitely impressive. But the question is would you want a netbook at such a high price?

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Gadgets Lenovo

Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 Price In Australia Announced

Lenovo is bringing its new Ideapad S10-3 Intel Atom netbook to the Australian market. The device is going to be sold at a price between AUD559 and AUD669 depending on the features you opt for and is expected to launch as early as the 7th of September this year.

The device is pretty reasonably priced. For AUD559 ($499 approx in USD), you get hold of a 10.1-inches display with a resolution package of 1024×600 pixels, a 1.5GHz dual core Intel Atom N550 processor along with a 1GB DDR3 memory and a 160GB hard drive. Additionally, you will also get to see a 1.3-megapixel webcam, Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, flash card reader and support for 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. The device is expected to run on Windows 7 Starter edition.

The model launching in Australia is pretty similar to Lenovo’s IdeaPad that was launched elsewhere though the 1.5GHz processor is a new introduction. That could bring a good competitive edge for Lenovo against the rival product launches.

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Gadgets

Coby NBPC-1022 Netbook Review Of Specs & Features

Coby has always been known for their rock-bottom pricing strategy. The company, it is learned, is now in the process of launching a few more netbooks in the market that will adhere to the same pricing norms. However, the going may not be as smooth as it used to be considering that a lot of manufacturers, including the bigger ones, are now beginning to offer their products at throw-away prices.

So what’s Coby’s counter? They are launching 7 new netbooks in the NBPC series that come in several sizes from 8″ to 10″. Here’s the specification list of the larger Coby NBPC1022 netbook.

Firstly, the device features a 10″ LCD display with 1024×600 resolution. The netbook will run on a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor and a 1GB DDR2 memory. Other features include a 160GB hard drive, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a 3 cell battery offering close to 2.45 hours of battery.

The device will run on Windows 7, XP or Linux and the price has not been announced so far.

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Gadgets

Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 Price And Specs Reviewed

Dell has launched a new model of their popular Inspiron Mini netbooks in the Europe market. The device comes with a 10.1-inches WSVGA TrueLife LCD display with a resolution of 1024×600 pixels.

The computer runs on a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N455 single core processor and comes equipped with a 1GB DDR3 memory and up to 160GB of hard drive storage space. So, there’s also a camera. But at 0.3-megapixel, that’s not something outside the ordinary. Other features include an Intel Graphics Media accelerator, a 3/6 cell battery and support for Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth.

The device runs on a Windows 7 Starter edition and is priced at €279 for the European market. Those of you outside Europe queue in outside the Dell retail outlets in Fall of this year. The new Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 is coming then.