New Sony Vaio P On FCC, Slated For Fall Release

Sony has posted a FCC notice for a new Vaio P model named AK8PCG1R2L. This isn’t the model number that consumers will see, but rather the FCC ID – the official model number is PCG-1R2L. The only hard information we know at this time is that it has the same size as the current Vaio P, and also has 802.11b/g/n and bluetooth. Sony has withheld the delicious stuff in this report so we’ll just have to wait till October (when document confidentiality expires) and see what happens. Could we see a 2ghz Vaio P in North America, finally? Japan has had one for months. The highest ghz model in North America, at this time of writing (on sonystyle.com), is a $1,999 1.86ghz Signature Version. Here’s another image that came with the FCC report:

NVIDIA Ion LE 1080p GPU confirmed: cheaper, drops DirectX 10

NVIDIA have released a second graphics product in their Ion range, the Ion LE, intended for entry-level devices such as netbooks and nettops. Ion LE is apparently exactly the same as the existing Ion – which boosts netbook video performance to handle 1080p high-definition – aside from it lacks DirectX 10 support.

“ION LE is SKU of the ION GPU that is identical to ION, except it only supports DX9. This product is designed specifically for Windows XP on Netbooks and Nettops and we are going to offer LE SKU just for OEM market” Igor Stanek, product PR manager, NVIDIA EMEA Ion/Notebook products

A second proviso is that Ion LE will only be available for Windows XP based systems. By switching from DirectX 10 to DirectX 9, the assumption is that manufacturers and vendors will be able to price their Ion-based netbooks and nettops lower than existing versions, with no significant loss of functionality to most end-users.

Currently adding NVIDIA Ion to a netbook is said to add around $50 to its purchase price. NVIDIA have not released pricing details for the Ion LE, and nor have they revealed which will be the first manufacturers and products to use the new chipset. While there’s also no product page for the GPU, it is listed among those supported by the latest GeForce/Ion driver release.

Averatec's N3400 reviewed: looks good, performs well, dies early

Averatec probably isn't the first name that pops into your head when you think of cleanly designed thin laptops, but if the $800 N3400 is any indication of things to come, that could change. Laptop had a chance to review the 13-inch machine and found its slim, aluminum body compares favorably to the MacBook Air -- despite being nearly a full inch thick. The 1,280 x 800 glossy display was rated as "decent," the dual-core 2.16GHz Intel T3400 processor paired with 3GB of RAM gave very good performance, but unplugged longevity was where it all went wrong. Just over three hours was the mark this machine achieved and, while the battery is replaceable, a screwdriver is required to do the deed, meaning it probably isn't an operation you want to attempt whilst sitting in coach. So, if you need a powerful ultraportable that won't break the bank, this looks to be it -- so long as you aren't planning any long trips

Fujitsu's CELSIUS ULTRA gaming PC caught on video

It's not exactly the most exhaustive of hands-ons, but the video after the break appears to be one of the very first looks at Fujitsu's much-hyped CELSIUS ULTRA gaming PC which, as promised, made its debut at the big KnastLAN event in Germany this weekend. From the sound of things, however, Fujitsu still isn't quite ready to dish out many details about the system's specs, although it does apparently make use of a pair of unspecified overclocked NVIDIA graphics cards in an SLI configuration, and it was reportedly able to run Crysis "impressively" at a full 120 fps. Head on past the break to see it for yourself.

Samsung N510 announced at 499 € for August 21 at Pixmania.

Pixmania is the first to list the Samsung N510, 11.6 machine "in ION Nvidia 9400M, Atom N280 and Windows XP. If this date is met, Samsung fly well featured Lenovo, which had promised the first NETBOOK in ION with the S12 which will be finally available in October.

Pixmania us the opportunity to deliver the comprehensive technical characteristics of the machine:
Intel Atom N280, clocked at 1.66 GHz
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home
RAM 1024 MB DDR2
Chipset and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M Ion, up to 128 MB of video memory with DVMT 3.0 technology
Type LED display screen
1 screen resolution 366 x 768 pixels (HD) 11.6 Superbright "
Hard Drive 160 GB SATA II 5400 rpm
Card reader memory card reader 3 in 1
USB 3 USB 2.0 ports
Modem / Ethernet 10/100 Ethernet
Wi-Fi WiFi 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Video Output Connections HDMI and VGA output
Audio Ports 1 x Headphone | 1 x Microphone
Intel High Definition Audio | Built-in speakers (2 x 1.5 W) | Portable Crane
Webcam Webcam Integrated 1.3 Mpixels
Keyboard & Mouse Touchpad with scroll zone | Keyboard 83 keys anti bacterial (Samsung Silver Nano Technology)
Battery Lithium-Ion 6 cells
Other Technology Sleep 'N Charge | Attache Kensington | 1 x RJ-45
Supplied Accessories Battery | AC Adapter 40 W
Bundled software Samsung Recovery Solution III | Acrobat Adobe Reader | Cyberlink YouCam | Easy Battery Manager | Battery Life Extender | Easy Display Manager | Easy Network Manager | Easy Speed-Up Manager | Microsoft Office Home and Student (trial) | Samsung Casual Game Pack | Samsung Magic Doctor | Samsung Update Plus | McAfee Virus Scan (trial 60 days) | Phoenix FailSafe | Google Toolbar | Windows Live
Dimensions 289 x 199.5 mm x 256,6-30,3
Weight 1.4 kg (with 6 cell battery)

Several things to note: firstly a weight that is reasonable despite the equipment of the machine: 1.4 kg for a 11.6 engine with 6-cell battery is correct. The rest of the equipment is substantially the same as that of other netBook along diagonal: the Acer Aspire 751 or Asus EeePC 1101HA: N-type WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1.

DIY Eee Keyboard is big, beautiful, and highly coveted

I’m starting to think Russia is breeding a new species of super-netbook hackers. All the coolest netbook-to-carputer hacks I’ve seen have come out of Russia. And now another Russian hacker has decided that rather than waiting for Asus to release it’s Eee Keyboard, he would build his own by cramming the guts of an Eee PC 900 into a Sven Multimedia EL 4002 keyboard.

The DIY Eee Keyboard may not have wireless HDMI, and it may not be as slim as the real thing. But it does pack a full computer inside a keyboard case, plus a VGA output, a few USB ports, and other goodies including headphone jacks and a built in mic. It’s probably more suited for use as a desktop PC than a home theater PC. But it’s still pretty awesome.

ViewSonic's VOT120 and VOT121 nettops suck in their guts for the camera

Unsatisfied with only having the tall and slim 130 and 132 nettops, ViewSonic's newly announced family of hardware also features a pair of even more diminutive options: the VOT120 and 121. Snapped in the wild for your delectation, these machines are small enough to be confused for a well-filled CD wallet and come with WiFi, four USB inputs, gigabit Ethernet and DVI-out. While the 120's standard netbook spec is nothing to write home about, the 121 does receive a (comparatively) potent 1.4GHz CULV chip and a HDMI output 'round back, making for an intriguing HTPC proposition. Prices in Taiwan are set for $304 and $423 respectively, but feel free to browse past the break for an inquisitive look at these miniature computers.

Acer's Aspire Predator gaming rig gets even faster, stays just as orange

Just a few weeks too late for a Transformers 2 tie-in, Acer has announced a new revision of its Aspire G desktop, a.k.a. Predator. It shares the same case with the earlier edition that hit the US of A late last year, but naturally has some better specs this time 'round. The CPU is now one of Intel's new Core i7 950's running at 3.06GHz, up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM is on offer, while more permanent storage is offered by a 1TB HDD and a Blu-ray reader. A pair of NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 graphics cards keep the pixels flowing over four DVI-D ports, and dual Gigabit Ethernet is on offer for those about to rock shotgun network connections. All that clad in a brilliant orange case that looks like it rolled off the Lamborghini production line, though at ¥259,800 ($2,700ish) it's a lot cheaper than the Murciélago LP 670-4 Superveloce you've been drooling over. No word on American availability, but since the last one took about four months to make it this way perhaps we'll see this one by year's end.

ASX5810: New Acer Aspire X Available Next Week

Acer also announced a new Aspire X Series dekstop PC, the ASX5810-A40F, scheduled to be released next week (August 7th).

Less impressive than the Predator previously announced, the ASX5810 is still decent and features an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 (2.33GHz), 3GB of DDR3 (up to 8GB), an Intel G43 Express chipset, 1TB of HDD, an Nvidia GeForce GT 120 (1GB of VRAM), a DVD SuperMulti Drive, as well as 9 USB ports, eSATA port, a DVI-I port, HDMI output, a Gigabit Ethernet.

It runs on Windows Vista Home Premium (32bit) and comes with a 20" crystal brite LCD screen with a resolution of 1600x900, a response time of 5ms, and a brightness of 300cd/m2

Price: 129,800 Yen, or €975.

ASM5800 & ASM3202: New Desktop PC from Acer

Acer announced the availability of their new M-Series desktop PC. For this new line-up you’ll have a choice between two CPUs, an Intel Core 2 Quad (ASM5800), or an AMD Phenom II X4 (ASM3202).

- The ASM5800 features a Core 2 Quad Q9550 CPU (2.83GHz), from 4GB to 8GB of DDR3, from 750GB to 1TB of SATA HDD (7200rpm), an ATI Radeon HD 4650 (1GB of VRAM) GPU or an Nvidia GeForce GT 230 (1.5GB of VRAM), a Blu-ray disc drive, as well as HDMI output, Gigabit ethernet, 10 USB 2.0 ports… as for the price you can expect something like 139,800 Yen (1045€).

- The ASM3202 features an AMD Phenom II x4 925 (2.80Ghz) CPU, from 2 to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, from 640 to 750GB of SATA HDD (7200rpm), an ATI Radeon HD 3200, a DVD SuperMulti drive…
Price: 69,800 Yen, or €525.

Acer ASM5800

Acer ASM3202