Toshiba appears to have quietly released its Satellite U840 ultrabook for customers in Australia. The notebook builds upon the company's Z830, adding a larger 14-inch display with 1366x768 resolution and powered by Intel's 1.6GHz Sandy Bridge Core i5 processor.
Colorado federal Judge Robert Blackburn on Monday set a precedent with an order requiring that a woman decrypt data on the hard drive of her Toshiba Satellite M305 notebook by February 21. The official dismissed a defense by Ramonia Fricosu's attorneys that argued it would violate the Fifth Amendment's rule against self-incrimination, CNET said. The All Writs Act of 1789, which had already been used to compel phone companies in surveillance requests, was also valid with locked down storage.
NVIDIA picked its GeForce LAN 6 tourney to unveil the second generation of its 3D glasses hardware. 3D Vision 2 helps cure a common weakness of 3D by producing a twice as bright picture and improving the color saturation over traditionally washed out 3D video. The lenses are also 20 percent larger, immersing the gamer more in the image, and are made of softer materials that fit better with headphones.
Toshiba has begun shipping one of the first notebooks equipped with AMD’s Llano-based Fusion quad-core processors. The Toshiba Satellite L750D-ST4N01 incorporates AMD’s mid-range A6-3400M chip with an integrated AMD Radeon HD 6520G graphics core on-board. The new hybrid chips, which AMD refers to as APU’s (Accelerated Processing Units) incorporate DirectX 11-capable graphics processing on the same die as the CPU.
Toshiba has announced its new Satellite series laptops. Entry-level Satellite C600 series, Satellite L700 series, and premium Satellite P700 Series laptops will begin shipping later this month. The Satellite L700 and P700 series offer the choice of Intel Core processors or AMD's new A-series mobile APUs. The Satellite C600 series uses AMD's Bobcat processors exclusively.
A href="http://www.toshiba.eu/eu/">Toshiba Europe this week revealed four new notebooks that have 3D active shutter glasses technology. They include the Satellite P750 3D/P755 3D and the Satellite P770 3D/P775 3D. The former use 15.6-inch HD displays, while the latter goes bigger with 17.3-inch panels. All have the necessary 120Hz display refresh rates and ship with two pairs of NVIDIA's 3D active shutter glasses.
Dish Network has announced that it will attempt to acquire DBSD North America, a satellite communications company that has been involved in ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The deal will reportedly cost approximately $1 billion, including an $87.5 million commitment as a debtor-in-possession credit facility to help bring the company out of bankruptcy protection ahead of the formal purchase.
Confirming a leak that emerged earlier this week, the FCC has officially approved a proposal from satellite-broadband startup LightSquared. The move will lift a requirement that barred companies from deploying terrestrial phone networks using spectrum originally allocated for satellite-based phone systems. The startup now will be able to lease portions of its airwaves for standard smartphones while the company expands its satellite broadband endeavors.
Satellite Internet provider Hughes is said to be up for sale, according to a report. The company, which is majority owned by private equity Apollo is said to have hired Barclays Capital to provide advice on a potential sale. Early bids have emerged from other interest private equity firms and competing satellite ISPs.
Toshiba has introduced several new notebooks that have been added to the company's Satellite and Qosmio groups. The Satellite E305 represents one of the many new notebooks based on Intel's second-generation Core i5 processor. A 14-inch display and chiclet keyboard both integrate LED backlighting, while the back of the screen is protected by an aluminum cover.
Toshiba as part of its CES rollouts brought out its first notebook based on AMD's new Fusion chips. The Satellite C665D is unique in running on AMD's 1.5GHz E-240 but with the same 15.6-inch display as other Satellites with more power-hungry processors. Toshiba hasn't given battery life figures but, through the Radeon HD 6310 built into the processor itself, should still deliver 1080p video and DirectX 11-grade 3D.
Amazon wrapped up the year on Thursday with word that itself and Apple topped the lists of its most popular items of the year. The Kindle with Wi-Fi unsurprisingly topped both the bestseller and wish list charts for electronics, but Apple had unusual success in computers. The 13-inch MacBook Pro was both the bestselling notebook on Amazon and the most wished for, although the most gifted was a low-end, 15.6-inch Toshiba Satellite.
Toshiba has revealed two new notebooks in the form of the 15.6-inch Satellite C660 and Satellite Pro 660. Either can be had with chips from AMD or Intel, up to an Athlon II or Core i3, respectively. To keep prices low, there is only integrated graphics on both, with either Radeon or GMA HD video depending on the choice of processor.
Toshiba today brought out a rare notebook designed first and foremost for kids. The Satellite L635 Kids' PC is built to withstand the cosmetic abuse sometimes imposed by those under 10 and has both a cross-patterned finish and a wipeable keyboard that should continue to look good and stay cleaner after use with dirty hands. At 13.3 inches, the system is small and light enough to be portable for a child but still big and fast enough to run modern games and movies.
Toshiba on Wednesday announced the upcoming release of four new notebooks with integrated WiMAX modems. Based on existing products, the 16-inch Satellite A665 and 14-inch Satellite M645, 13.3-inch Portégé R705 and 14-inch Satellite E205 each can connect to Sprint's 4G WiMAX network, which is live in 54 cities across the US. The service gives about 3Mbps to 6Mbps downstream.
Toshiba, together with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, have issued a voluntary recall of its T130 and T135 13.3-inch notebook PCs due to a possible risk of fire. The exact products that are potentially affected include the Satellite T135, Satellite T135D and Satellite Pro T130 notebooks. About 41,000 examples sold worldwide are covered under the recall.
Toshiba on Tuesday introduced a plethora of new Satellite notebook PCs, including the feature-laden 16-inch Satellite A665 and the 14-inch Satellite M645. There are also four new entry-level models in the L-series with the 13-inch L635, 14-inch L645, 15.6-inch L655 and 17.3-inch L675. The A665 and M645 can be equipped with chipsets using NVIDIA's Optimus technology for offloading graphics to either the CPU's own video or the GPU, depending on the workload.
Toshiba's notebook launches were bolstered today by two rare AMD-based ultraportables. The 11.6-inch Satellite T215 and 13.3-inch Satellite T235 both use Athlon II Neo chips to provide a one-inch, under four pounds design that still has integrated graphics capable of HD video and modern 3D. The T235 adds an option for faster Turion II Neo hardware or Intel's CULV-based Pentium dual-core.
Toshiba refreshed its notebook lineup this morning and headlined the group with the Satellite A665 3D Edition, its first North American 3D notebook. The port of a Japan-first model brings a 15.6-inch, 120Hz display that can handle stereoscopic 3D and a GeForce GTS 350M that supports 3D Vision for not just games and online videos but HD movies through a Blu-ray burner. DVD playback also gets a lift as Toshiba's upscaling technology carries over from its TVs.
Judging by a new notebook being shown off at Computex this week, Toshiba is likely to update the styling of its Satellite M135 notebook with an ultra-thin design, complete with a chiclet keyboard and wide trackpad. Spotted by Engadget, the 13-inch notebook is about one inch thick, and will be powered by at least a choice of a 1.06GHz Intel Core i5 or a dual-core AMD Athlon II Neo CPU.
Toshiba has begun shipping its Satellite E205 notebooks with Intel's Wireless Display technology. The wireless system, first introduced at CES, works with Intel's latest chipset which allows users to view the notebook display on any HDTV with Composite or HDMI inputs. A small box connects directly to the TV, although no external adapter is required on the computer side.
Toshiba's Satellite T100 series expanded significantly on Wednesday with the rollout of AMD-based processors in the mix. Instead of the Intel CULV processors of before, the T115D and T135D have the option of the Athlon Neo, the dual-core Athlon Neo X2 or (on the T135D) the Turion Neo X2. They all give performance beyond that of a netbook but, because of the Radeon HD 3200 video, should be faster than the Intel-based models in graphically intensive tasks.
Toshiba has teamed up with GQ magazine on auctioning off notebooks designed by four famous men. The 'artists' include Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, actor and writer Rainn Wilson, rock musician Joe Perry and actor and producer Omar Epps, with each designing the exterior and interior look of four different Toshiba Satellite notebooks.
Toshiba on Wednesday updated its notebooks with Windows 7 and a rare promise among Windows PC makers. The company promises that all of its systems running the new OS, including its touchscreen models, will go without any icons on the desktop except for the default Recycle Bin. System performance should get a boost as the PCs will run as little software in the background as possible, in many cases only running anti-virus tools.
Toshiba this morning refreshed its notebook line for Windows 7 but centered its attention on its first two touchscreen models. The Satellite M505 Touch and U505 Touch both have multi-touch displays both to use Windows 7's more touch-aware interface as well as Toshiba's own custom touch apps. A bulletin board app provides a space for calendars, notes and photos, and a ReelTime app provides a visual file search that uses a thumbnail timeline to find content by when it was created or changed.
Toshiba this morning made its second-ever Windows 7 notebook its first system ever to use Intel's CULV platform. The Satellite T100 series is aimed at the space just above netbooks with the added processor speed but also larger screens and thinner designs; at its smallest, the line is less than an inch thick and weighs just under 3.5 pounds. Every model is said to get as much as nine hours of battery life out of its built-in six-cell pack.
Toshiba picked IFA to make its first real entrance into Blu-ray following last year's exit from HD DVD with both its first dedicated movie player and a notebook to match. The BDX2000 catches up with full BD-Live support for movies with Internet features on an Ethernet connection and an SD card slot for playing the user's own content, including H.264 (AVCHD) videos. A flip-down front door is rare in the breed and keeps the design uncluttered either mid-movie or when it's not in use.
Electronista tried out the new CruiseCast satellite-TV system previewed by AT&T at CES this week. The company will provide a satellite receiver and controller module to bring television channels onto backseat displays or other vehicle monitors. The external antenna is definitely noticeable, rising at least an inch above the roof rack, although the company intends to shrink the form-factor of future products.
Iridium Satellite has unveiled its latest satellite phone, the 9555, which offers smaller dimensions and a form factor that is closer to traditional cell phones than its predecessor, the 9505A. The antenna is mostly internally stowed, allowing full extension only when the phone is being used. A speakerphone function, brighter screen, and mini-USB data port have been added, along with improved SMS and E-mail functionality.
Toshiba on Tuesday announced some detail hardware and software changes to its Satellite range of laptops, including the 13.3-inch U405, 14.1-inch M305 and M305D, 15.4-inch A355 and A305. The Satellites get quicker Intel and AMD processors, ranging from 2.0GHz to 2.26GHz processors from the former and 2.0GHz and 2.1GHz CPUs from the latter. A few new features are also added to some of the Satellites, including Toshiba's face recognition software for access to the computer via the webcam and USB Sleep-and-Charge ports that will charge the batteries of compatible devices even when the laptop is in standby mode.
Toshiba helped kick off a special event for Sprint's Xohm service by launching its first official WiMAX-equipped notebook. The 13.3-inch Satellite U405 now has one of the 4G adapters built-in and so can pull roughly 2Mbps to 4Mbps most anywhere in Baltimore and other cities soon to get the 4G-level wireless access. Toshiba's implementation also uses Intel's "Echo Peak" adapter to include Wi-Fi without adding to the system's bulk.
An online Best Buy store listing reveals the specs and prices of Toshiba’s new, 14.1-inch Satellite-series E105 notebook. The advertised version sports a backlit keyboard, Intel’s dual-core 2.26GHz processor and 4GB of RAM. The laptop includes a 320GB hard drive and is just 1.2 inches thick while weighing in at 5lbs. Graphics processing for the 1280x800 screen is handled by the onboard GMA 4500 MHD chipset that brings with it an HDMI output; an FM tuner is also unusually built-in.
With announcements from HP, Lenovo, and Sony, Toshiba also took the opportunity to announce (and ship) new Centrino 2 versions of its recently announced notebooks for faster networking, better performance, and improved battery life. The Satellite Pro S300 laptop, updated with latest Core Duo processor and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD, offers Toshiba's fourth-generation EasyGuard technology, sleep-and-charge USB ports, optional SSD/flash-memory drive configurations, built-in docking capabilities and Webcam with business card reader software (starts at $1,2993). For its business-oriented Tecra models, Toshiba is using Intel's Centrino 2 with vPro micro-architecture to manage and secure mobile workforces using hardware-assisted remote isolation, diagnostics and repair: the Tecra M10 has a starting MSRP of $1,399, while the Tecra A10 pricing has yet to be determined.
Sirius sent a prototype Starmate 5 satellite radio receiver to the FCC for testing, revealing some images as well as specs. Other than the color difference of an otherwise identical body, it's not clear how the Starmate 5 differs from the current Starmate 4. One hint as to a unique feature is mention of either an XM or Sirius radio signal used in testing in a memo between a member of the testing firm and FCC authorization staff.
Toshiba this morning gave the same attention to its Satellite Pro notebooks that it did for its new Satellites. Hoping to jumpstart interest in students and pro users, the company has launched five new models with both a redesigned look and new internals. The L300 and L300D serve as Toshiba's baseline with either Intel Core 2 Duo (L300) or AMD Turion 64 X2 (L300D) dual-core processors and a 15.4-inch screen while offering just the essentials; systems start at $699 for an L300D with a 1.9GHz AMD chip as well as 1GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive, scaling up to a 2GHz Core 2 Duo and a 160GB disk in the $799 L300.
In addition to re-revealing its new Satellite designs, Toshiba on Tuesday updated its Satellite X205 gaming notebook to take advantage of newer hardware. The 17-inch desktop replacement now draws on at least a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo from Intel's Penryn era that offers both extra speed as well as better battery life. It also includes at least 320GB of storage split across two drives, each of which spin at 7,200RPM: the speed provides desktop-like load times without sacrificing space, according to Toshiba.
Toshiba on Tuesday completely overhauled the look of its Satellite notebooks with four new systems, as well as an old-look 17-inch model. Following a similar update in Europe, the company has changed from its longstanding silver-and-gray to a new subtler look. Referred to as Horizon, the design both adds an imprint design as well as a completely flush trackpad and a much subtler glossy, dark gray finish. It also adds touch-sensitive CD and DVD movie playback controls similar to recent HP systems.
Details of several notebooks running the mobile version of Intel's Penryn architecture have been leaked and point to the likely specifications for other systems as well, according to Notebook Italia. Sony is expected to have one of the most comprehensive updates with upgrades to its VAIO AR, CR, FZ (pictured), and SZ notebooks. As should be common to many systems based on the 45-nanometer Intel processor, clock speeds will be higher: the CR, SZ, and the base FZ will start with 2.1GHz Core 2 Duos, while the top FZ and the standard AR will reach 2.4GHz; fulfilling predictions of large memory, Sony will ship every system with at least 2GB of RAM and as much as 4GB on the 2.4GHz portables, which also sport Blu-ray drives.
Toshiba today made an unusual concession to anxious business travelers with the Satellite T31. The 15.4-inch Japanese system is one of the few computers from a large manufacturer to ship with both Windows Vista and its XP Professional ancestor in the box; while only one is installed by default, owners can either choose to keep the newer OS or revert back to XP should their work software or personal preferences keep them from running the new code.
