New eMachines from Gateway, its the T3642 and T5246

eMachines today announced two new powerful desktop PCs ideal for a range of uses, from basic productivity to multimedia applications. Featuring AMD single- or dual-core processing power, the eMachines models meet a wide range of needs, and both systems feature the memory, graphics and storage capabilities to handle a wide variety of uses.

At just $349.99, the eMachines T3642 is a solid value, with enough features and capabilities to easily handle daily multi-tasking demands, while the eMachines T5246 provides consumers with an affordable solution that’s powerful enough to handle more demanding multimedia applications.

“eMachines desktops have always provided tremendous bang-for-the buck in both value and performance,” said Glenn Jystad, Gateway’s senior manager of desktops. “Our newest systems deliver on that promise, providing our customers with the power and capabilities to make their computer experience enjoyable and productive.”

		eMachines T5246 Specifications		eMachines T3642 Specifications
Processor		AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+ (Dual Core) (AMD LIVE!™) 64-bit processor with AMD64 Technology		AMD Athlon™ 64 Processor 4000+ 64-bit processor with AMD64 Technology
System Bus		Operates at 2.2GHz | 2 x 512KB L2 cache | 2000MHz System bus		Operates at 2.6GHz | 512KB L2 cache | 2000MHz system bus
Chipset		NVIDIA® GeForce® 6100 chipset		NVIDIA® GeForce® 6100 chipset
Graphics		NVIDIA® GeForce® 6100 integrated graphics		NVIDIA® GeForce® 6100 integrated graphics
Memory		2048MB DDR2 memory, dual channel		1024MB DDR2 memory, dual channel
Hard Drive(2)		400GB SATA II (7200RPM, 8MB cache)		250GB SATA II (7200RPM, 8MB cache)
Optical Drive		16x DVD±R/RW SuperMulti drive		16x DVD±R/RW SuperMulti drive
Audio		6-channel (5.1) high-definition audio		6-channel (5.1) high-definition audio
Media Reader		High-performance 15-in-1 digital media card reader		High-performance 15-in-1 digital media card reader
Expansion slots		6 - USB 2.0 ports (2 front, 4 rear)		6 - USB 2.0 ports (2 front, 4 rear)
Speakers		Amplified stereo speakers (USB powered)		Amplified stereo speakers (USB powered)
Keyboard		Multifunction keyboard		Multifunction keyboard
Mouse		2-button wheel mouse (PS/2)		2-button wheel mouse (PS/2)
Operating System		Windows Vista® Home Premium		Windows Vista® Home Premium

HP Innovates “Closed Loop” Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Program

HP today announced it has developed an engineering breakthrough that enables the use of post-consumer recycled plastics in the production of new Original HP inkjet print cartridges.

More than 200 million cartridges have been manufactured using the process thus far. HP used more than 5 million pounds of recycled plastic in its inkjet cartridges last year, and the company is committed to using twice as much in 2008

HP inkjet cartridges returned through HP’s Planet Partners program undergo a multi-phase recycling process that reduces them to raw materials such as plastics and metals. HP combines plastic from the inkjet cartridges with recycled bottle resin and a suite of compounding additives to ensure all recycled materials meet HP’s high-performance standards.

The amount of recycled content in these HP inkjet cartridges may vary between 70 to 100 percent of the total plastic used, but the reliability results for each product are stringently tested and consistent across the lineup.

And unlike companies that simply remanufacture cartridges, HP has found a way to mold these recycled plastic components into new Original HP inkjet cartridges.

Western Digital introduces new My Passport USB Harddrive with 320GB

Western Digital today introduced its new My Passport Essential Portable USB Drives. Redesigned to complement WD’s popular My Book family of external drives, the drives introduce a sleek new form that feels good in your hand and fits neatly in a pocket or purse. The new My Passport Essential USB Drives feature a beautiful glossy black finish and put almost a third of a terabyte of digital storage in the palm of your hand.  Weighing in at less than 5 ounces, My Passport Essential Drives are light and compact to carry and because they are bus powered, they do not need an external power adapter. Equipped with sync and encryption software (Windows compatible only), this lightweight drive with mega-capacity, makes it easy to securely carry thousands of songs, or videos or photos. WD Sync software allows consumers to take desktop content with them by simplifying the synchronization of essential personal files and Microsoft Outlook data on a PC. Should owners misplace the drive, they know their data is protected with 128-bit encryption. Google software on the drive allows users to quickly locate files with the Google Desktop Search search tool, manage photos with Picasa photo organizer software and simplify Web searches with the Google Toolbar search bar.  “The newly designed My Passport Essential drives are the perfect travel-friendly storage device to hold the rich media content generated by higher resolution photos and HD videos and music,” said Jim Welsh, vice president and general manager of WD’s branded products group.  “The desire to carry and keep their digital files close at hand continues to grow and this new drive offers a sleek and stylish solution with plenty of storage capacity for consumers on the move.”

Europeans can now use Skype on their PSP

News just released from the Skype Blog :

Earlier this month, we said it’d be available later this month.

If you’ve got a Sony PSP Slim & Lite and have been waiting since CES for a system software update so you could make Skype calls, now is the time to act. All you need to do is to upgrade your handheld’s system software to version 3.90.

With the update, just announced by the Sony folks in Europe, PSP Slim & Lite users can make free voice calls to 276m other registered Skype users, see which friends are online and available to talk.

Also, if you have a bit of Skype credit lying around, you can use your PSP to make cheap SkypeOut calls to call landlines and mobiles anywhere on the home planet.

Oh, and please make sure you’ve got a live WiFi connection, or that Skype conversation will remain as elusive as decent Estonian stand-up comedy.

PANASONIC INTRODUCES LUMIX LZ-SERIES DIGITAL CAMERAS, AFFORDABLE MODELS

Panasonic today announced new members to its growing family of full-featured and high-performing LUMIX digital cameras with the introduction of two more point-and-shoot models, the DMC-LZ10 and DMC-LZ8.  Featuring two key enhancements from last year’s DMC-LZ7, the new LZ-Series models feature Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR lenses and wide-angle shooting – 30mm on the LZ10 and 32mm on the LZ8.  Furthermore, each new LZ-Series model boasts manual controls, convenient AA-battery operation, a 5x optical zoom, Intelligent Auto Mode and the Venus Engine IV, the new high-speed, image-processing LSI.   “Not long ago it would have been hard to imagine a user-friendly and affordable digital camera packed with features professional photographers would envy, such as wide-angle Leica lenses, and manual controls,” said Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company.  “However, Panasonic’s commitment to research and innovation, our partnership with Leica, and our dedication to providing our consumers with the technologies they need to take professional-quality images resulted in an extraordinary feat with the 2008 LUMIX LZ-Series.” The LZ10 and LZ8 are perfect for consumers who expect a digital camera that blends power, performance and quality, helping them to maximize the digital photography experience.  The LZ-Series’ lenses were developed by Panasonic, passing Leica’s stringent standards to deliver an exceptional optical performance for Panasonic LUMIX consumers.  With the LZ10’s 30mm wide-angle lens and the LZ8’s 32mm wide-angle lens consumers can capture larger group photos or more expansive scenic shots.  To provide digital photographers with added creative elements and performance, both LZ models sport manual control over aperture and shutter speed, thanks to the camera’s newly-adopted iris.  When shooting manually, users can choose from three modes: A-aperture priority, S-shutter speed priority and M-manual and enjoy added control and creativity normally reserved for higher end models.  Also new to the LZ-Series is Advanced Scene Mode – a feature that gives consumers manual control using some of the frequently-used scene modes: Portrait, Sports, Landscape and Night portrait.  

While in Advanced Scene Mode, when selecting the Portrait or Sports mode, the consumer is then presented with additional settings, with the option of choosing outdoor or indoor. When selecting Landscape mode, there are options to specify if the shot is nature or architecture.  For budding photographers who desire even more artistic freedom, they can choose Creative mode, which adds more manual controls over an aperture or a shutter speed.

 For consumers not quite ready for complete manual control, the LZ-Series also features Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto Mode, which is comprised of five distinct technologies designed to provide users with intuitive and automatic camera adjustments, regardless of the shooting condition and without the user having to do anything manually.  The LZ10, with 10.1 megapixels, and the LZ8, with 8.1 megapixels, both feature Intelligent Auto Mode, consisting of the following features: ·         MEGA O.I.S. – Gyrosensors detect hand-shake and the lens system shifts to compensate, helping to prevent hand-shake from creating a blurry image.·         Intelligent ISO – Can determine if the photo subject is moving and change the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly, thus giving a blur-free photo.  ·         Intelligent Scene Selector – Senses the ambient conditions, recognizes the shooting environment and will automatically select the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode.  ·         Face Detection – Panasonic’s Face Detection detects up to 15 faces anywhere in the frame, even if they are moving, and automatically chooses the optimal focus and exposure settings so portraits come out clear and crisp.  ·         Quick AF – The Quick AF (auto focus) system starts focus on the subject by just pointing the camera to the subject, thus minimizing the AF time. Each camera also features new 230,000-dot high-resolution LCDs, complete with the new Intelligent LCD, meaning the 2.5-inch LCD screens detect the lighting condition and controls the brightness level to offer optimal clarity in any situation, whether dark or light; indoors or outdoors.  The cameras also include the popular High Angle mode which makes the LCD screen easy to view when held high, to shoot over a crowd or a tall object. Additional highlights of the Panasonic LUMIX LZ-Series include: 

• Newly added speaker lets consumer enjoy a slide show with music, selecting from natural, slow, urban or swing tunes; or add voice to a motion video.
• Title Edit function which allows the consumer to input text to accompany a photo, for instance, the names of children or travel locations.
• Ability to record WVGA (848 x 480) motion images at 30 frames per second in a 16:9 aspect ratio, ideal for viewing on High Definition televisions, such as Panasonic VIERA Plasmas and LCDs.
• The ability to shoot 1920×1080 pixel High-Definition ready photos, ideal for wide-screen viewing on a 16:9 VIERA Plasma or LCD.
• The DMC-LZ10 can shoot up to 160 images and DMC-LZ8 shoots 180 images with the included Alkaline batteries and 460(LZ10) /470(LZ8) images with optional Ni-MH rechargeable batteries (2600mAh)*.
• A record/playback mode switch, which lets the photographer switch between recording and playback modes, while always knowing the current mode

The DMC-LZ10 and the DMC-LZ8 will be available in black and silver models in February for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $249.95 and $179.95 respectively. 

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