News Archive for 09/04/28

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MOTU launches Volta virtual instrument plug-in

04/28, 11:55pm

Volta virtual instrument

MOTU has launched Volta, a virtual instrument plug-in that turns an audio interface into a voltage control interface. Volta is designed for hardware devices with a control voltage (CV) input and can be used with audio workstation software packages such as MOTU Digital Performer, Apple Logic Pro and Ableton Live. The plug-in enable users to perform MIDI sequencing with external modular synths, to automatically calibrate and tune oscillators, and to apply LFOs, step sequencers and pattern sequencers to CV inputs. Volta provides 24 control outputs per plug-in instance, and allows the use of as many instances as needed.

Palm ad casting and Sprint testing hint at Pre launch

04/28, 10:55pm

Possible Pre launch window

A casting notice for a "Palm Pre Viral" ad campaign could be hinting at the release date for the Palm Pre, according to Gizmodo. A "cool and nerdy" actor is sought to live in Seattle from April 29th through June 5th to shoot the video. An actor from Los Angeles told Precentral the campaign will require the actor to pretend he is frustrated that the Pre has not been released yet. The man will be watched by a camera in the apartment, where he will not leave, as a protest, until the handset is finally released.

WWDC sells out weeks earlier than last year

04/28, 9:45pm

WWDC sells out quickly

Apple has officially sold out of WWDC passes for the 2009 event, scheduled for June 8th through the 12th in San Francisco. The company sold out of passes for the first time last year, but not until the middle of May. For developers that miss the conference, video sessions will be available to purchase shortly after completion.

LaCie announces mobile DataShare USB storage

04/28, 8:50pm

LaCie DataShare storage

LaCie on Tuesday announced a new portable storage device, the DataShare. The device is designed to use standard SD and microSD memory cards. The red half provides a Push/Push connector that accepts a microSD card, while the larger SD card is inserted into the red half. Users can keep personal or protected data on one side, while shareable files can be placed on the other side.

MultiBrush 4.0 adds new tools, restoration options

04/28, 8:05pm

MultiBrush 4 update

AKVIS has released MultiBrush 4.0, an update to its tool suite for retouching and enhancing photos. The software carries more functionality than the previous release, Stamp. New tools are designed to improve retouching, restoration and collage creation. All pens and brushes feature automatic adjustments for preserving colors, texture, brightness and tonal range from the original image, allowing the restored section to blend into the existing background.

SuperSync 3.1 adds web-based music server, more

04/28, 7:45pm

SuperSync 3.1 ships

Built-in web access has been added in SuperSync 3.1, a major update to the music hub software. SuperSync allows users to track music across multiple computers and music libraries, with options to move, sync and update track and metadata info across each library. Version 3.1 makes it possible to access and remotely play music from a home library on an iPhone or a remote computer, using a new password-protected web server. The server has two web interfaces, one optimized for the iPhone and one geared toward Flash-enabled browsers. The new web server uses AJAX, generating a web page that shows playlists, artists, albums, and genres, with a search function that can be used to find specific tracks.

MacPractice announces new app for endodontists

04/28, 7:15pm

MacPractice Endo

MacPractice has announced a new version of its medical-practice management application designed specifically for endodontists, MacPractice Endo. The software provides customizable data-entry forms for use in MacPractice EDR (Electronic Dental Record), including placeholders for digital x-ray images. Narrative reports can be automatically generated from a completed EDR form, with the option to be merge the content into a letter template for referring dentists.

Briefly: 99 cent Pangea games, Cocoa Touch GUI test

04/28, 6:30pm

Chronos Reinvent Yourself

In brief: Mac gamers currently can purchase eight different games from Mac Games Arcade for only 99 cents each. The games are all hits from Pangea Software, including titles such as Enigmo and Otto Matic. Meanwhile, froglogic has announced that its GUI testing tool, Squish, now features support for Cocoa Touch-based apps. Developers can test the interface of their iPhone and iPod touch apps with various GUI technologies. Chronos has release a new bundle that will be available until the end of April and offers a total savings of more than $50. The "Reinvent Yourself" bundle includes SOHO Business Cards, SOHO Labels, and SOHO Art Pack and can be purchased from Chronos' online store.

Feeder 2.0 adds weblog integration, improved editing

04/28, 5:55pm

Feeder 2 update

Reinvented Software has released Feeder 2.0, an update to its RSS editor for creating news feeds. The latest version adds weblog integration, announcements and live validation. The interface has been revamped, with a new toolbar layout that is designed to reduce clutter. Editing has been improved and a new portrait preview shows more content for proofreading. Users can also upload to Amazon S3 or add iTunes U podcasts.

Intel drops 2.5" SSD pricing, ups 1.8" production

04/28, 5:35pm

Intel drops 2.5" SSD price

Intel will soon lower prices of its X25-M series of 2.5-inch solid state drives and boost production of its 1.8-inch SSDs, according to a Tuesday DailyTech report. The 160GB X25-M, which uses mulit-level cell flash memory, is now priced at $630 after launching for $945 last December, and is due to get another $100 price cut soon, while the 80GB version of that drive will fall to $270, down $50. Street prices are even lower, as retailers try to make the Intel drives appealing compared to OCZ's Vertex SSDs.

Mockup shows HTC Snap for Verizon

04/28, 5:20pm

HTC XV6175 rendering

A version of the Snap QWERTY smartphone from HTC, albeit likely with CDMA and GSM network support, is one step closer to its release at Verizon, as a rendering of it has been spotted. Known in the render as the XV6175, it was codenamed Cedar when it was undergoing testing at the GSM Global Certification Forum. The XV naming scheme has regularly been used to rebrand HTC's phones on Verizon's network.

iBuyPower rolls LAN party-friendly Core i7 PC

04/28, 4:50pm

iBuyPower LAN Warrior

iBuyPower this afternoon publicized a relatively unique small form factor game PC designed to be easily transportable to a LAN gaming party but without sacrificing its speed. The LAN Warrior is only slightly larger than some SFF boxes with its NZXT case but has room to accommodate Core i7 processors up to the 3.2GHz Core i7 Extreme courtesy of dual side fans and liquid cooling. It can also address as much as 12GB of DDR3 memory and two GeForce GTX 295 or Radeon HD 4870 X2 cards.

DealNN: Bluetooh headsets, Blu-ray players, more

04/28, 4:50pm

DealNN: Bluetooh headsets

Today's deal of the day from DealNN is on the Nokia Bluetooth headset. It is regularly priced at $69.99 but, for today only, has been reduced to $19.99 with FREE shipping. Get up to 6.5 hours of talk time or up to 150 hours of standby time from the rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery.

Flash Optimizer 2.0 adds improvements, support

04/28, 4:50pm

Flash Optimizer 2.0 update

Eltima has released an update to its Flash compression utility, Flash Optimizer for Mac 2.3. The program compresses sounds by converting stereo to mono and lowering bitrates, while video is scaled back by shrinking bitrate and frame size. The current version reduces filesize up to 80 percent, and provides Flash 10 support, various interface improvements, and a new version of Flash'In'App.

RealDVD's copy limits too easy to remove: MPAA

04/28, 4:40pm

RealDVD vs MPAA trial

In the ongoing legal battle between the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and RealNetworks over the latter's RealDVD computer program that lets users violate copyright laws, the MPAA argued removing the software's restrictions on how many computers can access the ripped files is easily done. Robert Shumann, an expert on securing DVDs, took the stand on Tuesday at the request of the MPAA and said changing RealDVD to allow for more than the current five computers to playback the copied content is simple.

Symantec launches OnlineFamily.Norton security app

04/28, 4:25pm

OnlineFamily.Norton

Symantec has formally published a new web-based security and monitoring application, OnlineFamily.Norton. Previously available only in beta form, the software is designed to help parents track what their children are doing when they use the computer. Users can view search words used by children, censor web content in over 40 categories, and customize and restrict profiles, preferences and allowable Internet use.

Apple refurbs: Apple TV, wireless keyboard, MBA, more

04/28, 4:20pm

Apple refurbs: Apple TV

Right now Apple.com has a variety of refurbished Apple products at reduced prices. Apple TV is available in both 40GB and 160GB configurations for $199 and $279. Accessories include the wireless keyboard for $69, the AirPort Express Base station for $85 and refurb. Time Capsules in both 500GB and 1TB options for $239 and $399 respectively. Recently the iPod nano in both 8GB and 16GB configurations were reduced to $99 and $149 correspondingly. Unibody MacBooks are also offered starting as low as $1099 for the 2.0GHz model with 2GB of memory and 160GB hard drive. A selection of MacBook Air models are being featured as well with prices ranging from $999 to $2149.

OWC intros USB adapter for multiple displays

04/28, 4:20pm

OWC USB display adapter

Other World Computing has introduced a USB 2.0 display adapter that can be used to add multiple displays to a PC or Mac. The device plugs into an available USB port, while the displays can be connected via HDMI, DVI or VGA cables. Full 32-bit color is supported, along with resolutions up to 1600 by 1200 pixels. Up to six adapters can be used to clone the primary screen or extend the desktop to six displays.

ASUS to launch 3G-equipped Eee PC in Japan

04/28, 4:10pm

ASUS 3G Eee PC in Japan

ASUS, in conjunction with Japanese wireless voice and data network provider NTT DoCoMo, is due to release a 10-inch netbook with built-in 3G access that supports NTT's FOMA data network. NTT DoCoMo subscribers will be able to download data at speeds up to 7.2Mbps without being tied down to a hotspot or wired connection. The Eee PC 1003HAG otherwise sports standard Eee PC fare such as a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and 1.3-megapixel webcam. For local area network connections, there is integrated Wi-Fi as well.

Motorola A4500 Verizon world phone shows at FCC

04/28, 4:05pm

Moto A4500 at FCC

An FCC filing tipping up today has shown that Motorola will have a full QWERTY smartphone for Verizon in the near future. Known very early on as the Napoleon, the A4500 is now confirmed to be a World Edition phone that would support both EVDO (likely Revision A) and GSM for calling abroad. It also betrays the existence of a 2-megapixel camera and Wi-Fi.

Apple-centric Shufflegazine gains traction in UAE

04/28, 4:05pm

Shufflegazine grows in UAE

In the UAE a new, Apple-based magazine called Shufflegazine has launched at a time when many magazines are closing down. Omran al Owais, the founder and creative director of Centimetercube, based in Dubai, believes that Apple is a product that is recession-proof, and that Apple coverage will generate enough interest to allow the magazine to survive and hopefully grow.

Zerion announces exZact data collection for iPhone

04/28, 3:45pm

exZact data collection

Zerion Software has announced its exZact data collection tool for the iPhone and iPod touch, presented with the iFormBuilder web app at the OSDBU conference. exZact is used to collect data from mobile phones, and stores all forms, logic, and data locally in a device database. The exZact server is designed to handle large amounts of material, and comes with four layers of security configurable for different applications, such as password protection and local encryption. Additional security capabilities allow users to set up a data swipe which automatically deletes all information when the maximum login attempts are exceeded.

LG readying Cookie with CDMA network support

04/28, 3:40pm

LG intros CDMA Cookie

LG will soon release a CDMA version of its popular Cookie touchscreen cellphone, and call it the LG KX500, an online listing indicates. Apart from supporting CDMA2000 1x access, the KX500 shares the same features of the KP500, including its 240x400 touchscreen display, an integrated accelerometer, Bluetooth 2.1 and a 3-megapixel camera.

Firefox 3.0.10 update remedies stability

04/28, 3:30pm

Firefox 3.0.10 update

Only days after the release of v3.0.9, Mozilla has posted a another update for Firefox, bringing the web browser to v3.0.10. The update is mainly intended to fix a "major stability issue," but also fixes a security flaw related to the @nsTextFrame::ClearTextRun() command. It is available as a 1.5MB download through the Firefox auto-updater, or else from the Mozilla website.

HP ignoring known NVIDIA failures on dv9000?

04/28, 3:30pm

HP NVIDIA Failures Ongoing

HP may overlooking widespread instances of NVIDIA's known graphics defect on systems that fall outside of the official recall list. Users on the company's support forums explain that many dv9000-series notebooks with GeForce 8M-series graphics chipsets are exhibiting the same problems as those covered under a warranty extension and eventually fail with a blank or visually corrupted display. The failure usually happens within 1 to 1.5 years and in many cases falls outside of the warranty.

Little progress made on Louvre Apple Store?

04/28, 2:55pm

Slow work on Louvre store

Progress is so far slow or non-existent on Apple's Parisian retail store near the Louvre, photos supplied by a MacNN source suggest. The photos, taken on April 24th, show an essentially empty space, without any evidence of the forthcoming occupation by Apple. The site also appears to lack any sign of active construction, though surfaces are clean and possibly ready for tiles and paneling.

Motorola Korea outs MOTO V10 with gradient finish

04/28, 2:40pm

MOTO V10 outed in Korea

Motorola last week introduced its MOTO V10 for the Korean market, which sports a body color that flows from black at the top of the handset to red at the bottom. The dual-color body has a soft feel material on its backside for a better grip.

Microsoft readying iPhone rival for Verizon?

04/28, 2:30pm

MS iPhone Rival at Verizon

Microsoft is teaming with Verizon on a direct rival to the iPhone for early 2010, according to a purported leak. Few details are forthcoming, but the Wall Street Journal believes the effort relates to Microsoft's project "Pink," which outside of the report is believed to involve creating a Zune-themed reference phone design. The newspaper echoes this by saying the hardware design would have Microsoft's guiding hand but that another company is actually building the device, much as the T-Mobile G1 is influenced by Google but made by HTC.

BlackBerry Tour pegged for Verizon in July

04/28, 1:55pm

BlackBerry Tour Due July

RIM's BlackBerry Tour has now been given a more concrete release window through a new leak. The smartphone is now slated by BGR's source for July and, as promised, would come to Verizon first. The pricing is predicted to sit below the rivaling BlackBerry Bold at just $199 on a two-year plan.

Apps: PageSender, Mealplan, Labels $ Addresses

04/28, 1:30pm

SuperSync, DMG Master

PageSender 4.5 ($40) can send faxes and (PDF) emails directly from the print dialog, receive faxes using your fax modem, filter spam faxes by station name, design custom fax cover pages, and send faxes easily via eFax, jConnect, EasyLink, MaxEmail or RapidFax services. The update has added support for Sparkle which is a utilty that makes updating software simpler along with support for the SmartFax.com fax-via-email service and other small fixes and improvements. [Download - 7.3MB]

Customizable Samsung Tint comes to MetroPCS

04/28, 1:20pm

Samsung Tint at MetroPCS

MetroPCS on Tuesday announced it has released the Samsung Tint cellphone on its flat-rate network. The phone ships with interchangeable grey and pink faceplates and customers have the ability to buy more to suit their own personal tastes. The user interface is also customizable, with banner themes, fonts and wallpapers.

Nokia preps Star Trek edition 5800 XpressMusic

04/28, 1:00pm

Nokia 5800 Star Trek

Nokia has announced a new movie tie-in edition of its 5800 XpressMusic phone. The Star Trek variant is preloaded with four custom screensavers, as well as three new wallpapers, and eight ringtones based on movie sound effects. Also loaded is a Phazer application, which simulates the series' famous guns.

iPhone used more outside of work than rivals

04/28, 12:20pm

Compete on iPhone and Work

Apple's iPhone is much more likely to be voluntarily used as a personal device than smartphones from longstanding challengers, a new Compete study shows. Although 59 percent of those surveyed that own BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Mobile phones use theirs primarily for work, about 73 percent of iPhones are used primarily for personal use. To the researchers, the bias is more to do with an emphasis on non-traditional apps than the suitability of the phone to its particular task, as the iPhone is more likely to have software that caters to more than just calendars and e-mail.

Toon Boom releases Service Pack 1 for Storyboard

04/28, 12:20pm

Storyboard Service Pack 1

Toon Boom Animation has released Service Pack 1 for Storyboard and Storyboard Pro 1.5. Aside from performance improvements, the pack includes new features for creating, exporting and working with storyboards. An Optimize project command has been added to remove unused elements and compress drawings, or flatten all drawings in a project. Users also have the ability to create one-frame panels, or to apply commands and operations to a selection of panels, such as resetting the camera, renaming scenes, or copying and pasting camera positions.

Roland produces JUNO-G 2.0 keyboard update

04/28, 11:40am

JUNO-G 2.0 update

Roland has announced JUNO-G 2.0, a software upgrade that adds new features and functions to the company’s JUNO-G Workstation Keyboard. With the new version users can now sample audio from external sources, import audio phrases from the removable flash memory, and assign samples that can be triggered from the JUNO-G function buttons or keyboard. Changes to the front panel control knobs have been made that enable users to adjust start, end and loop points.

Epson updates Ensemble HD cinema systems

04/28, 11:20am

Ensemble HD updated

Epson on Tuesday today announced that its all-in-one Ensemble HD home cinema systems have been updated with the company's latest 3LCD projectors and are now called PowerLite Home Cinema 6100 and Home Cinema 6500 UB. Like earlier versions of the systems, the systems ship with all necessary components for a home theater install, including a 100-inch screen, surround sound speakers, receiver with integrated DVD player and a universal remote. These components come from Atlantic Technologies, with the speakers integrated into the motorized projection screen and the projector's cradle mount.

Aqua Data Studio 7.5 adds file search tool, charts

04/28, 11:20am

Aqua Data Studio 7.5

AquaFold has posted the v7.5 update to its database administration tool, Aqua Data Studio. The software supports Oracle, MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server, among other platforms. The latest version offers a new file search tool that searches the complete contents of files, and two added editors for Java and JavaScript. Also present are additional charts, enhanced performance, and more languages to choose from. Performance improvements emphasize a 40 percent reduction in memory consumption when retrieving sizable text and grid results.

Atom processor demand cooling?

04/28, 11:05am

Atom Demand Cooling

Demand from PC makers for Intel's Atom processor has started cooling in what may be a shift away from netbooks, industry sources said Monday. Instead of focusing its attention on supplying larger companies like ASUS or Dell, Intel is now believed by DigiTimes to be focusing on smaller builders, particularly those in mainland China, and using them to clear out supplies. The higher-end companies themselves are also turning away from the ultra-mobile chip as a whole.

iPhone apps: Find a Bank, Die Hard, I Heart Concerts

04/28, 11:00am

traQmy.self, Slideshow

Find a Bank ($1) uses the iPhone and iPod touch's built-in location services to locate the user and then provide them with information on all of the closest banks. Each entry includes a map and directions along with a phone number and link to the banks official website. Find a Bank also allows users to add their preferred banks to a favorites list for quick access to their specific information.

Truphone 3.0 improves messaging management, audio

04/28, 10:45am

Truphone 3.0 released

Truphone has released v3.0 of its self-titled iPhone application, which provides VoIP calling as an alternative to eating into limited cellphone minutes. Calls to users of Truphone, Skype and Google Talk are free over Wi-Fi, though rates begin to apply when calling landlines and regular cellphone numbers. Use over cellular data is also possible.

Creative intros entry-level ZEN MX audio player

04/28, 10:20am

Creative adds ZEN MX PMP

Creative has added a new entry-level model to its portable audio player line-up with the ZEN MX. Available in models with 8GB or 16GB of internal memory, the new players look largely like the company's current ZEN players with detail changes to the control button layout. The same 2.5-inch LCD display with 320x240 resolution remains. Supported audio files include MP3, WMA (with DRM) and Audible 4. As for videos, only Creative's proprietary video-CMV format is compatible. Creative did include its Creative Centrale software that will convert videos into the format, however.

Dell Studio One 19 on sale in the US

04/28, 10:10am

Dell Studio One 19

As promised, Dell today made its Studio One 19 all-in-one desktop available in the US. The 18.5-inch system in US trim starts at $699 and has slightly better performance than the Japanese version launched in March. A 2.5GHz Pentium dual-core, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and GeForce 9200 integrated video serve as the baseline in the system, which is more consciously designed as a lower-priced alternative to an iMac.

The Missing Sync for iPhone 2.0 adds two-way sync

04/28, 9:50am

Missing Sync for iPhone 2

Mark/Space has launched v2.0 of The Missing Sync for iPhone, a companion utility for iPhones and iPod touches. The software supplements iTunes by syncing notes, tasks and various documents with an Apple handheld. New in the v2.0 update is support for two-way sync over Wi-Fi; changes created on an iPhone or Touch are automatically carried over during the remote sync process.

Cablevision offers 101Mbps, cap-free Internet

04/28, 9:45am

101Mbps Optimum Online Ult

Cablevision on Tuesday claimed the title of the fastest cable Internet provider in the US by launching Optimum Online Ultra. By using the newer multi-channel DOCSIS 3.0 standard, the carrier promises a peak of 101Mbps downstream and a still-fast 15Mbps upstream. The service is theoretically twice as fast as Comcast's 50Mbps service and won't have a bandwidth cap, permitting as much use of the service as customers like. An HD video can download in roughly 10 minutes on the network, while a batch of 750 photos can upload in the space of a minute.

Nokia to shrink online services, cut 450 jobs

04/28, 8:50am

Nokia Shrinks Online Svcs

Nokia this morning took extra steps to improve its finances and said it would scale back the development of its online services. Calling it a new "focus," the Finland-based company plans to draw more heavily on third parties for its image and video uploading rather than depend on itself. It also intends to make better use of its resources and will put all games on the Ovi Store in addition to N-Gage and other front-ends that already carried the software.

Averatec preps 10-inch Android netbook

04/28, 8:10am

Averatec Android Netbook

Averatec is poised to make a significant change to its netbook strategy with Google's Android as its likely foundation, based on an interview with company chief Tae-Hyun Cho. While not naming it explicitly, he indicates to CNET that the TriGem sub-brand's upcoming 10-inch system will have a "surprise" OS that is a "merger of cell phone and PC technology;" Android is one of the few platforms to match the description. The design itself will also be more noticeably upscale and, in a teaser shot, is seen as particularly thin.

HP readying GeForce 3D Vision-based notebook?

04/28, 7:25am

HP 3D Notebook Soon

HP is in the last stages of developing a notebook with a built-in 3D display, Taiwan's Commercial Times newspaper said on Tuesday. Well-known contractor Wistron has reportedly been tapped to produce a notebook with GeForce 3D Vision support; the display would likely run at 120Hz and support stereoscopic glasses to simulate extra depth in supported 3D games. It's presumed the system would also have a dedicated NVIDIA graphics chipset needed to drive the two 60Hz pictures at once.

Apple in talks w/Verizon: iPhone lite, media tablet?

04/28, 2:05am

Apple in talks w/Verizon

Apple is reportedly in negotiations with Verizon to bring two new consumer devices to the US market. Following recent rumors of Verizon's bid to win the flagship iPhone exclusive (when Apple's contract with AT&T expires next year), the new BusinessWeek report says that Apple has been in talks for over six months to bring two "iPhone-like" devices to the market, one of which could surface as early as this summer. Simply called the "iPhone list" by one of the publication sources, the first device is a "smaller, less expensive calling device," while the other is a media pad that "would let users listen to music, view photos, and watch high-definition videos" and allow users to place calls over a Wi-Fi connection.

DealNN: Garmin eTrex Vista $139, iPod touch, more

04/28, 1:15am

DealNN: Garmin eTrex Vista

Today's DealNN deal of the day is on the Garmin eTrex Vista handheld GPS. It is regularly priced at $299.99, but has been reduced by $160 to $139.99 and includes FREE shipping at Amazon.com. It features a waterproof casing that provides protection in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes and comes pre-loaded with basemaps of North & South America viewable on the 2.14" LCD display.

AMD debuts 40nm Radeon HD 4770 GPU w/DDR5

04/28, 1:05am

Radeon HD 4770 GPU w/DDR

AMD on Tuesday launched its Radeon HD 4770 graphics processor as its latest performance product in the 4000 series for the desktop PC market. Featuring over 826 million transistors and the latest 40nm manufacturing process, the GPU offers performance starting at $99 (after mail-in rebate). The new card features third-generation hardware support for the latest DirectX 10.1 games (e.g., Battleforge, HAWX, S.T.A.L.K.E.R Clear Sky and Stormrise) as well as support for 128-bit GDDR5 memory (twice as fast as GDDR3 at the same clock speeds for better performance), and ATI CrossFireX, which enables a second ATI Radeon HD 4770 card to be added for a "near-linear" increase in performance.

HP chases Apple with ProBook designer line

04/28, 12:40am

HP ProBook

HP tonight put pressure on Apple's high-end MacBook Pros, as well as the current Dell Latitude series, by launching its ProBook s-series portables. The new systems are exercises in minimalism and blur the distinctions between home and work models: though they have quick access to calendars and contacts as well as added security measures and the option of 3G, they all have 16:9 ratio, LED-backlit screens, options for media features like Blu-ray or dedicated non-workstation graphics, and a merlot red body color option. They mark HP's first systems to use through-the-shell "chiclet" keyboards like Apple's MacBooks or certain Sony models.