Samsung announces SF, NF, HF and RV laptops and netbooks

Psst! Want to be utterly overwhelmed by a deluge of new Samsung laptops and netbooks? Great, pull up a chair, because we've just got wind of not one, not two, but four different series of portable computer from the Korean electronics deity.

First off the assembly line is the SF series -- a hyper-attractive range of laptops designed seemingly to drop jaws and extract drool from anyone within 100 feet. They come in a choice of screen sizes (13.3-inch SF310, 14-inch SF410 and 15.6-inch SF 510), feature Intel Core i3 or i5 CPUs and have hybrid graphics solutions that switch between Nvidia and Intel chips depending on whether you're gaming or doing something mundane like checking emails.

Samsung obviously knows it's onto a good thing with the look of the SF series, so it's also using that chassis design for a new range of netbooks known as the NF series. Within this group, you'll find the NF310, NF210 and the NF110, all of which have their unique selling points. The NF310 promises a high-definition 1,366x768-pixel display, the NF210 promises a whopping 14-hour battery life and the NF110 is, for want of a better word, cheap.

If the SF and HF devices aren't your bag, Samsung has also whipped up a fresh batch of RF series goodness, which it promises will be the fastest, most powerful products in its portfolio. The RF series is available in two screen sizes -- 15.6-inch (RF510) and 17.3-inch (RF710) -- and will feature up to 1TB of storage, Nvidia GT330M graphics and a either Core i5 or Core i7 CPUs.

Still awake? Good, because the laptop deluge continues. Samsung's also crafted a new RV series, which it believes will "deliver functionality at a reasonable price". It'll feature a 15-inch screen, an Intel Core i3 CPU and an ergonomic keyboard.

Samsung has yet to announce availability and pricing for the SF and RV laptops, but says the SF and NF series are scheduled to hit the streets this October for an as-yet-undisclosed quantity of cash. We'll have more on all these laptops and more the minute we wrestle the information from Samsung.

Via : crave.cnet.co.uk

Samsung Announces New SF Series Laptops, Great New Sleek Styling

Wednesday, Samsung today has announced some new laptop computers. The new laptops will be under their own family known as the SF Series. The new series adds three laptops to Samsung‘s infantry of laptop computers. The 13.3-inch SF310, 14-inch SF410 and 15.6-inch SF510.

The new notebooks will feature some really exciting new styling, as you can obviously tell from the picture above. The cases will be done up in a glossy Ivory color and the inside done in a Matte Black. The new laptops will get the latest Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 family of dual core and quad core processors. The laptops will also feature custom technology called “Fast Start technology” and Sleep & Charge USB lets. The laptops will come with batteries that offer up to 7.5 hours of life as well as Windows 7 and DDR3 memory.

Via : laptop-computer-planet.com

Samsung NF Netbook range goes dual core

Samsung has used IFA 2010 as the platform to launch its latest line-up of notebooks - and they come in all shapes and sizes.

The most exciting announcement was of the Samsung NF310 netbook that is packing the next-generation Intel Atom N550, dual-core, chip.

This monster netbook also boasts a 1366 x 768 HD resolution, DDR3 RAM, and Windows 7.

Also in the netbook lineup is the NF210 and the NF110, that may not have the next-gen CPU of their bigger brother but still come wrapped in the sexy looking glossy exterior and boast incredible battery life - a whopping 14 hours for the NF210.

Samsung also announced the SF notebook range including the 13.3-inch SF310, the 14-inch SF410 and the 15.6-inch SF510.

These machines have Intel i3 or i5 dual-core processors, hybrid graphics (Intel for the less demanding and Nvidia for the good stuff) and also look just as cool as the NF range.

Seongwoo Nam, executive VP at Samsung Electronics, said: "Inspired and elegantly crafted, this new lineup is truly representative of our efforts to come up with a new style in mobile computers".

"I believe that Samsung’s new mobile computer designs are fresh and will drive design trends across the computer industry and satisfy style-conscious users".

The new PCs are due to hit Europe in October - no prices have yet been confirmed.

Via : pocket-lint.com

R2-D2 themed Droid 2 dock unveiled through contest

The Star Wars R2-D2 edition Droid 2 has a lot of Android fans talking, and a contest by Amazon has released a matching peripheral: The R2-D2 Edition dock that perfectly matches the handset

In a “treasure hunt” type of contest, the lucky winner David Holt followed clues to a Star Wars book on Amazon. After copying the ISBN number of that book into a code input screen, he unlocked photos of the dock and won himself both a free handset and the dock. Not a bad way to drive interest in a new handset as well as introduce a new item.

Via : tweaktown.com

$199 Boxee Box Comes Out Swinging At Apple TV

If the newest post over at the Boxee Blog is anything to go by, the guys at Boxee are confident their product has enough space to compete with the miniscule Apple TV.

Titled “How Boxee Sees the Apple TV,” CEO Avner Ronen was both respectful and confident of the brave new world the Boxee Box will enter a month from now when it goes head-to-head with a $99 Apple TV.

Of all things, combative would be the last word that comes to mind after you read the gushing fanboy worship that begins the short essay.

Get a load of this:

“… If it is silver and it has the Apple logo on it, we pre-order it. If there’s a line around the block, chances are we’re in it. And everything stops at Boxee HQ while we unbox the latest gadget to come out of Cupertino.”

In a nutshell, Ronen’s point was despite the steep price, the Boxee Box is far superior to the Apple TV because you can watch anything from your computer on TV at 1080P. Compare this to Apple’s 720P and you get a good idea why the Boxee Box will cost more.

However, Ronen himself summed it up best with these parting words (A video of The Clash’s “Rudie Can’t Fail” included).

“The Boxee Box is going to be $100 more expensive than the Apple TV, but will give you the freedom to watch what you want.”

Via : geeky-gadgets.com

Game Center To Launch With iOS 4.1: Real Racing, Fieldrunners As Launching Games

Some exciting news for those eagerly waiting for an update regarding Apple’s very own social gaming network: Game Center. Thankfully, Steve revealed the feature will launch with iOS 4.1 next week:

“Game Center is a new app that lets friends, and soon-to-be-friends, in on all the action. Invite someone to join, then get a game going.

Or choose to automatically go up against people you don’t know from anywhere around the world in a multiplayer game.”

The feature definitely sounds like a hybrid between Plus+ and OpenFeint with a hint of Xbox Live added to the mix.

During the demo and on Game Center’s official site, Fieldrunners and Real Racing are two of the launching games.

Via : theappera.com

Unannounced Samsung i5510 with Froyo, QWERTY Seen at IFA

While it sounds as if almost all of the focus at Samsung's IFA presence in Germany was centered around its upcoming Galaxy Tab, Dutch site AllAboutPhones managed to spot a completely unannounced smartphone at the Vodafone booth branded as the i5510.

Complete specs on this QWERTY slider have yet to be made public, although AAP was able to tell that the device runs Android 2.2 Froyo skinned with Samsung's TouchWiz graphical user interface. Also on board are Bluetooth, WiFI, a microSD slot, and fairly standard five-megapixel camera.

Unlike Samsung's Epic 4G Galaxy S variant for Sprint, which boasts a five-row physical keyboard a la the Touch Pro 2, the i5510 only seems to offer four rows -- giving the top row of keys dual alpha-numeric functionality.

Since neither Samsung nor Vodafone had anything to say about this particular model, key information such as processor speed, price, and release date remain a mystery -- although it looks as though Voda customers should at least keep this one on their radar.

Via : pocketnow.com

Shazam tags the changes in revamped apps

Shazam has released new versions of all of its apps "which take advantage of iPhone 4 features and iOS4 operating system".

The music identifier gets improvements, which are spread right across the Shazam range, even the free apps are getting some new features.

Changes include:

- Tagging on startup, so you don't have to fiddle around to identify a track - handy if you're listening to the radio in the car.

- Multi-task support so you can go buy a track you like and then come straight back in to where you left off.

- Improved artist info, with song and album reviews, artist bios and discographies and song lyrics.

- A "Discover" tab to access the Shazam Tag Charts.

- Improved video features such as multiple videos per tag from YouTube, which you can view from within the app.

Shazam free users will also now be given the chance to upgrade to Shazam Encore, its premium offering, from within the app with annual and lifetime subscriptions offered.

The app is rolling out to country-specific App Stores, so check yours for your update now.

Via : pocket-lint.com

Samsung enlists help of developers to build smart TV success

B.K. Yoon, president of Samsung's visual display business unit, isn't worried about Google TV or Apple TV. Right now, his interest is in developers and how they're going to help Samsung maintain its edge in TVs.

I got a chance to sit down with Yoon when he came into town for today's Samsung TV Challenge Developer Day, which is expected to attract more than 300 developers. The event says a lot about Samsung's priorities as it looks to build upon its success in the TV market.

While Samsung has been the leader in TV sales, it sees the next big opportunity is in Internet-connected TVs running a variety of applications. Like the market for smart phones, Yoon believes that consumers will want a TV that can offer not just good performance but interactive apps. And to compete on that level, you need developers.

"The smart phone was originally for phone calls but now it's more about interactivity and people are used to that interactivity with their device through applications," said Yoon. "When that familiarity is transferred to the TV, we'll see that trend in TVs too."

Samsung is an ideal choice for developers, said Yoon. He said there are about 40 devices that developers can write apps for including TVs and Blu-ray players. He said that scale should be attractive for developers looking to distribute apps.

Yoon said connected TVs and 3D will both be growth opportunities for Samsung, but the bigger immediate market is for connected TVs. He said Samsung is expected to sell 6.5 million connected TVs in the U.S. this year and 2.2 million 3D sets this year. Connected smart TVs from Samsung start at $1,000 while 3D sets start at $1,099.

Yoon said he's been following the reports of Google TV and rumors of a new Apple TV. He said he's waiting to see the roll out of Google TV this fall before the company decides to participate. With Apple, he's interested like anyone else in what they will unveil tomorrow.

"I believe Apple and Google both have their strengths and it's up to the consumer to see what's most beneficial to them," he said. "Whoever relates to the consumer most will win this competition."

That's why the TV apps are going to be key for Samsung. Yoon believes these apps will need to be able to work in a more social environment, while offering utility in categories like video, games, sports, lifestyle and information. Right now, Samsung is offering 87 apps in the U.S. with plans for 200 by the end of the year.

The current line-up of apps includes lots of video options, from Blockbuster and Hulu Plus to Vudu, Cinema Now and Amazon. Samsung has also worked with ESPN on a unique TV app and is also preparing an application with Dreamworks debuting next month that will show 3D movie trailers and full-length features.

It's interesting to see how critical developers are becoming in this era of app stores. Now that these apps are becoming selling features, it's increasingly a race to lock up as much support as possible. It's been true in the smart phone race and now it's becoming a reality for the TV market.

"Smart TVs are a major trend for the future," said Yoon. "It's very important to offer a diverse choice of applications. If we try to develop the apps ourselves, there's a limit to that. That's why we need to outreach to developers."

Via : sfgate.com

Fujitsu announces LifeBook T580 with four-finger multitouch

We haven't spotted this one at IFA yet, but Fujitsu has taken advantage of the show to announce its new LifeBook T580, which it's going so far as to call "slate-beating." That apparently comes from the fact that it's not only a convertible tablet PC, but one with four-finger multitouch.

Unfortunately, that's done on a 10.1-inch resistive touchscreen (complete with a stylus that can be tucked away), but the rest of the specs aren't too shabby, and include up to a Core i5 processor, optional 3G and GPS, a promised eight hours of battery life, and plenty of business-minded security measures -- all in a three-pound package.

No word on pricing just yet, but you can expect this one to roll out in late November. Head on past the break for the complete press release, along with a quick demo of its multitouch capabilities.

Via : engadget.com

Energizer’s Upcoming Qi Charger Brings Us Closer To A Wireless Future

The people who brought us the bunny who keeps going are going right ahead with the new Qi standard for inductive chargers.

In case you’ve fallen behind news of this minor revolution in battery charging, inductive technology spares your smartphone intrusive cables and wires by juicing it up using a specific frequency.

Via : geeky-gadgets.com

iHome Shows Off Portable Speaker with Apple’s AirPlay Built-In

A company like iHome is probably supposed to showcase something that Apple shows off only days before. The company makes a killing off creating some of the best accessories for Apple’s line-up of mobile media devices, so why shouldn’t they showcase a brand new portable speaker, featuring Apple’s just-announced AirPlay feature?

This is the first speaker to feature the wireless media feature. The new feature will be made ready by the release of iOS 4.2, which is set to hit the iPad, and other iDevices, in November this year. As you can tell from the picture, it’s not a complicated piece of equipment. A single-piece design, the speaker is specifically manufactured to accept audio input over a WiFi connection. What you’ll also notice is that the iHome speaker doesn’t have a dock of any kind. It’s meant to proactively promote the WiFi streaming, from your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone.

It also has a built-in battery, so that means that at particular points in the day, like when you’re not charging it some how, it will be completely wireless. That’s probably where that “portable” aspect comes from. Unfortunately, iHome isn’t saying when the speaker will be released, or how much it will cost. They do say that it will be ready to buy by the holidays, though, so that’s good. It probably won’t be the cheapest speaker out there, but if you’re looking for that wireless home, this is one step towards that goal.

Via : slashgear.com