Filed under: Laptops

You already know full well what these buggers look like, and you’ve even had ample time to roll that 8920 review around in your noggin. Now, the moment of truth has arrived. Both of Acer’s Gemstone Blue lappies — the 16-inch Aspire 6920 and 18.4-inch Aspire 8920 — are finally available in North America. Prospective buyers can snatch either up starting at $849 / $1,299, respectively, though real hardware junkies will insist on paying more for those high-brow components. Shamelessly, at that.

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Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

We’ve seen the Splashtop instant-on OS demoed on ASUS gear in the past, and now it looks like the company is making the love official: it’s going to start shipping it on all its motherboards. ASUS is calling the platform “Express Gate,” but it’s the same instant-on, ready-to-browse environment we’ve known about since October: an embedded Linux distro that runs Firefox and Skype off a memory chip linked directly to the BIOS. You might want to hit that link and check out the screenshots, actually — with ASUS set to ship over a million mobos a month with the feature, chances are it’ll be on a machine near you relatively soon.

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For the child who loves robots, Airrobot’s RINGBO is the ultimate gift. Controlled using a pair of joysticks, this device is “specifically designed for kids aged 2-3.” No word yet on pricing or availability. Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.

In case you’re curious, the bumper-mounted IR sensors work great for stopping Junior from knocking over another vase, and the controls really couldn’t be simpler.

[via Engadget - OhGizmo]

Via Techeblog

The ZEN or “Z-axis Enabled” computer is comprised of “an electronic surface that can take different physical shape and can be manipulated by the user.” It lets you “read Braille text on it, make out windows, icons, and different textures.” No word yet on availability. Click here for first picture in gallery.

You can press into the surface, or scratch it with your fingers. All input output is made with the sense of touch. ZEN software uses a Tactile User Interface (TUI). The visually impaired are a negated market.

[via NextGenDesignComp]

Via Techeblog

The world’s only Swiss “Fusion Man”, Yves Rossy, is back at it again, and this time, he decided to upgrade his current jet wing design by strapping on two additional turbines. Continue reading for an overview and video. Click here for first picture in gallery.

Via Techeblog

Here’s Master Chief armor that actually looks like it was made for a movie. From the assault rifle (*corrected) to helmet, everything looks true to the game. Click here for first picture in gallery.

If somebody told me these were photos smuggled off the set of the Halo movie I’d totally agree with them, for a second, before remembering there is no Halo movie, then saying “aaaahhhh, ya got me”.

[via Kotaku - 405th]

Via Techeblog

With a slick design, gunmetal casing, and reasonable price ($59.99), the Metal Gear Solid 4 Bluetooth headset is designed for every kind of gamer. IGN reports that this is a “a standard Bluetooth 2.0 hands-free device, which means it can be paired with both the PlayStation 3 and any Bluetooth-enabled cell phone so you can rock it both at home and on the street.” Available June 12th. Click here for first picture in gallery.

We’re certainly down to roll with it in public, as it offers a good deal of contrast to the stand-issue Bluetooth headsets on the street. Spec-wise its battery life is rated at 8-hours of talk time and 160-hours of standby.

[via Gizmodo - IGN]

Via Techeblog

It may be long overdue , but IBM’s Roadrunner supercomputer is well worth the wait. Designed to handle 1.6 petaflops, this system boasts “a hybrid design with almost 7,000 AMD Opteron dual core processors and almost 13,000 IBM PowerXCell 8i CPUs.” Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.

Roadrunner will go on the internet soon at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, and will crunch all kinds of data. It takes up 6,000 square feet, weighs 500,000 pounds total, uses 57 miles of cable and requires 3.9 megawatts of power.

[via Dvice]

Via Techeblog

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EA and Steven Spielberg’s Boom Blox is essentially “physics-based puzzler that is designed to be played by anybody in the family using the unique control set-up of the Wii.” Video review after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.

EA has really capitalized on the Wii remote to give you pinpoint accuracy as you make throws with real, calculated velocity — throws that interact with block formations encased in genuine physics.

[via IGN - GT]

Via Techeblog

Filed under: Laptops

Just in case it wasn’t official enough already, mega-corps have ridden this green bandwagon way too far. Like, the wheels have fallen clean off. Nevertheless, NEC is hoping to guilt you into picking up its VersaPro VE with the dedicated “ECO button,” which seems to act as a macro for activating the Energy Saver mode within Windows. Beyond all that, you’ll find a 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7250 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a GMA X3100 graphics set, 15.4-inch WXGA panel, an 80GB hard drive, CD burning combo drive, gigabit Ethernet and a pretty typical arrangement of ports. Those not satisfied with the listed specifications can customize the unit somewhat, but those happy as a peach with the base configuration can secure one for ¥186,000 ($1,770).

[Via ShinyPlastic]

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Via engadget