| Delta to Use Surface 2 Tablets as Electronic Flight Bags Posted: 30 Sep 2013 09:07 PM PDT 
Airline to deploy as many as 11,000 units In a major shot in the arm for Microsoft's struggling Windows RT platform, Delta Air Lines has announced that later this year it will begin deploying the company's upcoming Surface 2 tablet across its Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 fleets with the aim of "replacing heavy paper-based flight kits containing navigational charts and aircraft operating and reference manuals." It expects to complete the rollout by the end of 2014, by when a total of 11,000 such Surface 2 electronic paper bags will have found their way into its cockpits. According to the airline, the Windows RT 8.1-running Surface 2 will let pilots access navigational charts, reference documents and checklists while saving the company "$13 million per year in fuel and associated costs." "With the Windows RT 8.1 operating system, pilots will be able to open two applications side-by-side, offering, for example, the opportunity to assess weather information alongside proposed flight paths," the airlines said in a press release. "The Live Tile user interface in Windows 8.1 can feed up-to-the-minute information to crew members while the Surface 2's true high-resolution 1080p touchscreen display adds detail to maps and other resources." Although by no means insignificant, the sale of eleven thousand units may not be enough to change the overall complexion of the tablet race. Microsoft needs to do more if it wants to save Windows RT. Follow Pulkit on Google+ |
| Xi3 to Launch Piston Console on Black Friday, Pre-Ordered Models Will Arrive Sooner Posted: 30 Sep 2013 12:00 PM PDT  Piston arrives in less than two months
Outside of Valve, arguably no company has been more excited about the Steam Machine (previously known as Steam Box) platform than Xi3, makers of the pint sized Piston Console. Following Valve's trio of announcements last week, we know that that there won't be a singular Steam Machine, but multiple options from third party vendors, and it looks like Xi3 will be one of the first out of the gate. Xi3 today announced that its Piston Console will be available to purchase on Black Friday, or November 29, 2013. Those who pre-order a Piston Console ahead of time will receive their unit on or before November 15, 2013, a full two weeks ahead of the actual launch. Though we know more about the Piston Console and Steam Machines in general than ever before, there's still a shroud of mystery that hangs over the whole platform. "The Piston Console is just Xi3's first step in what we believe will be a transformative technology revolution for the living room," said Jason A. Sullivan, Xi3's founder, president and CEO. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you what I know is coming because it's not time to tell you. But I will say this: the bar has been raised. Piston is smaller, lighter, and will last longer, provide more gaming options and be more powerful than any other gaming console on the planet. The reason I feel confident in saying this is because we started with a clean slate, unlike competing manufacturers. And that Tabula Rasa approach is what sets Piston apart from other gaming systems today and what will set us apart tomorrow." 
Xi3 will hold the first public preview of production Piston Consoles at the Interop New York trade show this week, so expect more details soon. In the mean time, Xi3 reiterates that Piston Consoles will come configured with a quad-core x86 processor running at up to 3.2GHz; 384 programmable discrete-class graphics cores; 8GB of DDR3 RAM; dual SSD connectors; internal microSD card slot; 128GB of SSD storage (upgradeable to 1TB); mini DisplayPort, HDMI, DisplayPort connectors; a dozen USB ports (four USB 3.0, four USB 2.0, and four eSATA/USB 2.0 combo ports); digital audio ports; and more. It will also have an Ethernet controller designed to recognize and prioritize gaming data, which sounds a lot like what Killer Networks does. In addition, Piston Consoles will come with "pack-in" gaming titles pre-loaded, details of which have not yet been revealed. Intrigued? If so, you can pre-order a Piston Console now and/or check out Xi3's FAQ page for more info. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Enermax Platimax 1350W PSU, LG 27-inch Monitor, and More! Posted: 30 Sep 2013 10:01 AM PDT |
| Intel Puts Internet TV Service on Pause, Looks to Launch in 2014 Posted: 30 Sep 2013 09:46 AM PDT  Plans to debut in 2013 have come to a screeching halt
Intel is finding out firsthand just how difficult it is to negotiate with big media companies, which traditionally have shown a reluctance to embrace the streaming revolution. As such, Intel's plans to launch an over the top TV service by the end of the year to compete with cable and satellite providers have been pushed back to 2014 as the chip giant looks for partners willing to play ball. According to Variety, Netflix is one of the potential partners Intel has approached so far, though discussions are said to have never been all that serious. One reason is because Netflix is hesitant to participate in a TV service that would directly compete with cable and satellite. Intel has yet to announce any licensing deals for its over the top service called OnCue. According to a report in The New York Times, Intel figures it needs to sign 5 million subscribers to its OnCue service withing the first three years to make the initiative worthwhile. Since that's the case, Intel won't forge ahead until it has something substantial to offer. The upside to OnCue for consumers is that it would provide the same basic set of channels that existing companies offer, but over the Internet and to screens of all sizes, including smartphones and HDTVs. It would also be a personalized service with different members of the family receiving different recommendations. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Lenovo Launches First 29-inch Super Widescreen All-in-One and Three Other Models Posted: 30 Sep 2013 09:04 AM PDT  The all-in-one form factor just went wide, really wide
Lenovo on Monday announced four new all-in-one (AIO) desktop PCs, one of which the company claims is the industry's first 29-inch super-widescreen AIO with a 21:9 aspect ratio and 2560x1080 display resolution, the B750. In addition to being super wide, the B750 boasts a frameless In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel and a built-in JBL 2.1 speaker system with a 20W subwoofer and Dolby Home Theater. To make the most out of all that horizontal space, Lenovo includes some proprietary technologies such as Lenovo Split Screen, which allows users to view and work with multiple windows simultaneously. On the hardware side, the B750 features a 4th Generation Intel Core i7 processor (Haswell), Nvidia GeForce GTX 760A graphics, DVD writer (Blu-ray optional), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 (optional), 6-in-1 card reader, HDMI out/in (optional), and a few other odds and ends. The B750 will be available in October starting at $1,200. If you're looking for a more traditional AIO, Lenovo's B Series is also represented by its upcoming B550 (23-inch display) and B350 (21.5-inch display) models, both with Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) IPS panels. These systems have the same speaker system as the B750, plus up to Core i7 processors, 16GB of DDR3L RAM, up to 2TB of HDD storage or SSHD hybrid storage, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, optical drive options, and a "wide range of connectors including HDMI." Both will be available in October, with the B550 starting at $799 and the B350 not yet having a price. 
Finally, Lenovo unveiled its A530, a slim AIO with a widely adjustable 23-inch Full HD 1080p screen that tilts from -5 to 90 degrees. In essence, you can use it as a tabletop PC. The display measures just 0.8 inches at its thickest point. In and around the A530 you'll find up to a Core i7 processor, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 1TB HDD or SSHD with integrated 8GB SSD cache, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 6-in-1 card reader, and a few other odds and ends. The A530 will be sold in Best Buy stores in October starting at $1,100. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| HGST Builds Single Platter 'Endurastar J4K320' Hard Drive for Automobiles Posted: 30 Sep 2013 08:31 AM PDT  Rough and harsh terrain are fair game
HGST, a subsidiary of Western Digital, today announced it has begun shipping its new Endurastar J4K320 family of single platter hard drives specifically designed for automotive infotainment and telematics markets. The J4K320 line represents HGST's sixth generation of automotive HDDs and offers the highest capacity for such drives at 320GB. These drives are also built to handle extreme and varying temperatures and altitudes, HGST says. Since your treks could take you to high altitudes in the Alps to scorching hot temperatures in the Sahara Desert, these types of drives carry different requirements than the ones that end up in your desktop PC or laptop. In this case, the Endurastar J4K320 operates at up 18,044 feet and supports an operating temperature range of -30C to +85C (-22F to 185F). It also has improved operating shock tolerance of 300G and a non-operating shock of 800G. "HGST has been working with the automotive industry for nearly two decades to develop the right hard drive products for use in cars," said Brendan Collins, vice president of product marketing, HGST. "These onboard systems integrate a combination of entertainment (video, audio, radio), navigation, connectivity, security services, diagnosis and much more to help provide a seamless in-car user experience. The combination of these services, especially navigation, requires reliable and durable storage for the supporting application software, as well as the needed capacity to store end-user content. As our sixth generation automotive drive, our new Endurastar J4K320 drive family continues to deliver on the needed requirements, and provides long-term data stability and reliability for the automotive market." HGST offers it Endurastar J4K320 family in 80GB, 100GB, 200GB, 250GB, and 320GB capacities, each operating at 4260 RPM with a SATA 1.5Gbps interface and a standard 9.5mm 2.5-inch form factor. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| MSI's GP Series Laptops Get You in the Game Starting at $900 Posted: 30 Sep 2013 08:04 AM PDT  Gaming on the go just got cheap
You don't need a burly budget to invest in a gaming laptop these days, and to make that point crystal clear, MSI just announced the immediate availability of its relatively affordable GP Series of notebooks. According to MSI, these new laptops offer the ideal combination of the on-the-go productivity, multimedia entertainment, and gaming performance. What's most tantalizing, however, are the price tags. The lowest end configuration (GP60 2OD-052US) runs $900 MSRP and includes a 15.6-inch HD LED display (1366x768), Intel Core i5 4200M processor, 8GB DDR3L-1600 RAM, Nvidia GeForce GT 740M GPU with 2GB of onboard memory, 750GB hard drive, GbE LAN, 802.11n Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0, SD card reader, headset amp, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 1.4 output, 720p webcam, SteelSeries keyboard, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium. 
For a little more Skrilla, the GP60 2OD-072US runs $1,050 and upgrades the display to a non-glare Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) panel, bumps up the processor to a Core i7 4700MQ, trades the battery for a slightly bigger model (120W versus 90W), and swaps the 5400 RPM hard drive for a 7200 RPM model. If you're looking for a bigger laptop, the GP70 2OD-027US costs $950 and is spec'd nearly the same as the GP60 2OD-052US except that it wields a 17.3-inch display with a 1600x900 resolution and 1TB hard drive. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
