Gigabyte slips out Atom N550-based M1005, Q2005 netbooks

We're guessing we'll see a more official announcement about these soon enough, but for now we'll have to make do with some product pages that have quietly turned up on Gigabyte's website for two new Atom N550-based netbooks: the M1005 and Q2005. As Netbook News notes, the latter of those (pictured above) looks to be remarkably similar to the Jolicloud Jolibook, also based on the same dual-core N550 processor, while the M1005 appears to be a relatively minor update to the company's M1022 model, right down to the same docking station (check it out after the break). Still no indication of pricing or availability for either of them, but you can find the complete specs for each at the links below.

Source Engadget

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Santech can't wait for CES, lists a bunch of Sandy Bridge CPUs on new N67 laptop

Man, who needs to go to CES anymore? Intel's frailly maintained secrecy around Sandy Bridge processor identities has been blown to smithereens today by Italian systems integrator Santech. The company lists a now familiar Core i7-2630QM (quad-core, 2GHz) alongside an i7-2720QM (2.2GHz), an i7-2820QM (2.3GHz), and an i7-2920XM (2.5GHz), confirming once and for all that Intel has completely lost its mind when it comes to naming chips. Other specs include up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 750GB of magnetic storage or 160GB of the solid state stuff, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, and a 15.6-inch display that can be either glossy or matte, with a resolution of either 1366 x 768 or 1920 x 1080, depending on your preference and budget. Deliveries are said to start on January 27th and prices range between €1,200 ($1,577) and €3,000 ($3,943).

Source Engadget

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Toshiba NB550D netbook spills specs, including 1GHz AMD Ontario APU and Harman Kardon sound

Looks like the AMD Fusion netbook strategy may be to supplant Intel's Atom wholesale in the leadup to CES, as Toshiba has just become the second manufacturer to swap out an Atom chip for a 1GHz AMD C-50 Ontario APU while leaving the rest of the design practically untouched. Notebook Italia just spotted this 10-inch Toshiba NB550D having a grand old time on the company's German website, leisurely flexing its Harman Kardon speakers and newfound HDMI port, all the while dreaming about ways to upgrade its scant 1GB of DDR3 memory and 250GB of magnetic storage. Interestingly,

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HP slashes Envy 13 price to $999 with $450 rebate

First it was the Adamo, now it's the Envy. HP has joined Dell in deeply discounting its aging 13-inch ultrathin, though unlike its Round Rock competitor, it hasn't bothered to give it any spec bumps. Consequently, even with this interest-building $450 rebate, the Envy 13 loses out to the Adamo 13 in a straight spec fight -- a 1.6GHz CPU, 3GB of DDR3 RAM and a 5400RPM hard drive are all either slower or smaller than Dell's offering -- but it does still have a pair of aces up its sleeve to get latecomers to part with

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LG Xnote P210 claims 'world's thinnest bezel' title, our undying appreciation

If there's one thing we appreciate more than pixel density, it's slim bezels. LG, a traditional enemy of unsightly frames, is today staking its claim for having the world's thinnest bezel on a laptop with the newXnote P210. This 12.5-inch machine is said to fit within the footprint of an 11.6-incher, but before you start throwing insults like "netbook" around the place, do take note it has a dual-core Core i5-470UMprocessor inside -- capable of running between 1.33GHz and 1.86GHz -- 4GB of RAM, and a 320GB HDD. The LED-backlit display's resolution isn't specified beyond a note saying it's "HD," while Windows 7 Home Premium is the predictable OS of choice. Look for the P210 to hit Korea in February for around 1.3 million won (about $1,135), but don't hold your breath on it coming Stateside for anything other than a flying trade show visit.

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Free Kinect keyboard emulator lets you WoW while AFK (video)

World of Warcraft is a lot of things to a lot of people, a whole lot of people, but it's never been much of an immersive gameplay experience -- casting Plague Strike doesn't seem all that unholy when it's triggered by frantically tapping a key on a keyboard. Moving an arm would be at least a bit more involving, and with the Flexible Action and Articulated Toolkit, or FAAST, from the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, that's just what you can do. It's basically a software layer over your Kinect, built over OpenNI, that recognizes a skeleton and enables about 20 different motions to be mapped to key presses. This means you can lean forward to walk, raise your right arm to perform an action, and then sit down

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Intel's Core i7-2630QM Sandy Bridge CPU spotted inside an HP dv6 in Singapore

HP's disregard for Intel's officially scheduled Sandy Bridge launch continues today, with the news that Singaporean malls are already stocking Pavilion dv6 laptops with the new Core i7 silicon lurking within. It's the same quad-core i7-2630QM chip that popped up on a dv7 spec sheet not too long ago -- it runs at 2GHz by default, but dynamic overclocking and disabling of cores can take that up to the 2.8GHz mark. Keeping it company inside HP's 15.6-inch laptop are 4GB of RAM and AMD's Radeon HD 6570M GPU. The entire machine is described as indistinguishable, in terms of construction, from HP's current crop of dv6s, leaving the precious internals to justify a price of 1,899 Singapore dollars (about $1,460).

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AMD Radeon HD 6950 can be turned into an HD 6970 using a BIOS hack

Ah, the joy of getting something for nothing -- that's what this time of year is all about, right? ThetechPowerUp! guys seem to think so, and they've got the perfect gift for all you thrifty PC gaming enthusiasts: a BIOS flash for the Radeon HD 6950 that unlocks the full potential of its hardware (in other words, it turns it into an HD 6970). We already knew the two retail SKUs were built on the same Cayman core, but this hack confirms that all the 6950's performance handicaps have been enacted in software rather than hardware, leaving you all to flip a switch, click a few confirmatory dialogs, and get your game on. You should be aware that the retail 6970 card uses an 8-pin and a 6-pin connector for its auxiliary power whereas the 6950 only has a pair of 6-pin intakes, which might cause trouble under extreme loads,

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Brain-Computer Interface Can Help You Get In The Game

Are you an athlete? Do you play mentally challenging games? TheBrainAthlete system, the world's first brainwave athletic trainer, could help you get in the zone and massacre the competition.

The BrainAthlete system is a brain-computer interface that monitors your mental states as you play the game. The BrainAthlete is engineered into a standard golf visor and has three contact points in the headband that are noninvasive. These contact points monitor theEEG electrical activity in the brain and then can relay the information by way of Bluetooth to a computer up to 10 meters away.

The BrainAthlete can then review the material to determine what they need to do to get more "in the game." The visor weighs only 100 grams (slightly less than a quarter of a pound) and will run on battery for up to 2 hours. You'll be able to buy yourself one in the U.S. sometime in the first quarter of 2011.

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DIY Tron Laptop-Bag Project Will Leave You Glowing

Looking for a quick geeky task to keep you busy this Christmas? If so, then look no further than this neat DIY project which takes your average laptop-bag and transforms it, Tron-style.

We've covered a couple of Tron related stories these past few weeks,including the very real $55,000 lightcycle, but none have grabbed our attention quiet as much as this one; so much so that it even got a mention in our recent podcast. But why, you ask? Because, Tronifying your own laptop-bag is cheap and fairly straightforward — with more than just a little sewing and soldering required.

The cool glowing effect (pictured) is made possible due to the use of electro-luminescent (EL) wire and a tucked-away small battery pack. If you're not familiar with EL wire, it's a relatively cheap, flexible product that glows when a current passes through it. Thankfully, the end result looks pretty neat, meaning you won't look like this guy.

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Computing on the Go: A Road Warrior Survival Kit

The traditional notebook and netbook PCs have been joined by tablets like the iPad, and increasingly powerful smartphones to make computing while tethered to a desk almost a foreign concept. But, there is still a difference between a little Web surfing or text messaging on the go, and a business professional that relies on mobile technology to get the job done: a road warrior.

An Apple iPad might suffice as a mobile computing device for some--even the iPhone or top Android smartphones like the Droid X can do the trick in a pinch. Road warriors, though, have different needs and need a different bag of tricks to stay productive on the go. Here are a few things any stalwart road warrior could use in their survival kit:

Mobile Broadband Hotspot. One thing that desk workers sitting in an office take for granted is being connected to the network and the Internet. Mobile professionals can use public Wi-Fi hotspots like those at Starbucks or McDonald's--but those have some additional security concerns and may not always be conveniently located (although near my house you can find one or both in any given quarter mile radius).

A mobile broadband hotspot like the Clearwire Puck or the Virgin Mobile MiFI let road warriors set up personal Wi-Fi hotspots that connect over 3G or 4G cellular networks to access online resources from virtually anywhere.

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AMD Launches 2GB Radeon HD 6900 Series Video Cards

Opened Radeon HD 6970 with Vapor Chamber Cooling (click to enlarge)

AMD's PowerTune technology (click to enlarge)

Architectural overview

Targets NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 570

AMD has launched its latest Radeon HD 6970 and Radeon HD 6950 video cards with 2GB of GDDR5 using a 256-bit wide memory bus. The new cards feature new 40nm CaymanGPUs produced by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Retailers are expected to sell the Radeon HD 6970 for $369 and the Radeon HD 6950 for $299 starting today.

The Radeon 6900 series was originally designed for the 32nm node, but problems at TSMC forced the cancellation of the plans and a quick backport of the design for 40nm design rules. Cayman chips consist of

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Browser Wars 2: Opera 11 Released, Benchmarked

[Click to Enlarge] Opera 11 features a cleaner look, a new mail pane, tab grouping, a speedup, and ... extensions

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