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Lenovo dumps classic keyboard on new ThinkPad laptops

Lance Whitney — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:35:16 PDT

No more classic-style keyboard with the new Lenovo T-Series ThinkPads.

(Credit: Lenovo)

Those of you who loved Lenovo's classic-style laptop keyboards can wave bye-bye to them.

With the new 2012 T-series ThinkPads, Lenovo has put the final nail in the coffin of the classic keyboard once made popular by IBM.

Lenovo stuck with the classic keyboard for the current T420, T420S, and T520. But the new ThinkPad T430, T430s, and T530 due to launch early next month have been overhauled with the island-style keyboards that seem to be hitting almost every laptop these days.

The company had already switched to the island-style keyboards for all of its other laptop, so the change was probably inevitable. I have yet to try out the new ThinkPad keyboards, so I can't weigh in on their user-friendliness. But I have to shed a tear for the loss of the classic keyboard.

Among laptop makers, Lenovo was virtually the one holdout to retain the classic keyboard, a carryover from the IBM lineup that the ... [Read more]

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Hangers with 'like' counts let Facebook dictate fashion

Amanda Kooser — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:09:36 PDT

Facebook likes this jacket quite a bit.

(Credit: C&A)

Why trust your own questionable fashion instincts when you can trust the questionable fashion instincts of everybody on Facebook? Brazilian retailer C&A has special clothes hangers that show how many likes each look has collected from the social-media community.

The counters built into each hanger, which are networked, update in real time to reflect the input of C&A's Facebook fans voting with their virtual thumbs on photos of each clothing item. C&A calls the system "Fashion Like."

Kodak sticks with consumer printing, unveils ESP 3.2 all-in-one device

Justin Yu — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:56:51 PDT

Kodak ESP 3.2

(Credit: Kodak)

The Kodak ESP line is meant for budding photographers and families that need a simple device to output family photos, collages, and personalized photo snapshots. The latest 3.2 all-in-one delivers print, copy, and scan functionality in a compact frame that still gives creatives access to a 2.4-inch color screen that accepts light photo edits.

You can set up the ESP 3.2 using a direct-USB connection, but doing it wireless gives you more access to the printer's cloud capabilities by way of Google Cloud Print and Kodak's own e-mail printing service. You'll need a Google account to access both new features, but a connection lets you e-mail print jobs to the 3.2 using a customized address, from any device with messaging capabilities.

This June, Kodak will also debut its free Pic Flick HD App for the iPad that outputs photos from the tablet to compatible Kodak devices and assists users in developing creative projects like custom picture frames.

The Kodak ESP 3.2 multifunction printer hits shelves this June for $99.99.

Microsoft Store trims Xbox 360 price by $50

Lance Whitney — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:51:11 PDT

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

Gamers in the market for an Xbox 360 will find a deal waiting for them at the online Microsoft Store.

The Xbox 360 250GB console is now on sale for $249.99, a full $50 off the usual price. This console offers 250GB of space on a removable hard drive, the usual wireless controller, a black headset, and a one-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold. Buyers can also add a 12-month Xbox Live Gold membership for $44.99, $15 off the regular price.

Those of you willing to cough up more cash can get the Xbox 360 250 GB Kinect Holiday Bundle for $349.99, down from $399.99. This kit throws in the Kinect sensor as well as two free games and a three-month Xbox Live Gold membership.

And for people in search of adventure in a galaxy far, far away, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Kinect Star Wars Bundle is selling for $399.99, also $50 off the usual price. This bundle offers a 320GB hard drive, custom-designed R2-D2 console and C-3PO controller, a white Kinect sensor, a wired headset, a copy of Star Wars Kinect... [Read more]

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Apple orders 4-inch iPhone screens, says report

Lance Whitney — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:06:13 PDT

Is the next iPhone due for a 4-inch screen?

(Credit: Apple)

Will the next iPhone actually sport a larger screen? A new report from the Wall Street Journal suggests it will.

Citing "people familiar with the situation," the Journal said today that Apple has been tapping into its suppliers for screens larger than the ones used in the current iPhone. The new screens are at least 4 inches, compared with the 3.5-inch displays used on the phone since its debut in 2007.

Assuming the sources are on the money, production of the screens could rev up next month, the Journal added. The most recent reports say Apple will unveil the next iPhone in early fall -- September or October. An October date would match up with the launch of the iPhone 4S last year.

A larger screen could be a sign that Apple is trying to play catch-up with its Android rivals, particularly Samsung. The Korean handset maker has enjoyed a huge surge in sales and market share over the past year, Most research reports now cite Samsung as the top smartphone and mobile phone maker around the world.

Apple is reportedly ordering screens from several manufacturers, say some of the Journal's sources. Those include LG, Sharp, and Japan Display, a new outfit formed by the Japanese government and three companies.

Here's what Android fragmentation really looks like

Eric Mack — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:49:49 PDT

Samsung's Galaxy S II is the most prevalent Android device, trailed by almost 4,000 others.

(Credit: Screenshot by Eric Mack / CNET )

Open Signal Maps is a nifty free Android app and Web site that crowdsources where the strongest and weakest cell signals are. But along the way, it's also managed to amass a ton of data about what kind of Android devices are out there in the wild and they pulled it all together into some visualizations that dramatically show the extent of Android fragmentation.

OSM started logging the Android devices that download the app six months ago and created the above visualization -- the interactive version on the site is a little more informative -- from a sample size of 681,900 devices. What it reveals is that Samsung's Galaxy series, particularly the Galaxy S II, is far and away the top dog, followed distantly by the HTC Desire series. After that, it turns into quite a mess of devices ranging from other heavy hitters like Motorola's Droids down to the Hungarian Concorde Tab, which showed up once.

Fragmentation might no... [Read more]

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Verizon Jetpack MiFi 4620L mobile hot-spot review: It's a Rocketeer

Dong Ngo — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:49:36 PDT

Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 4620L

Even when used with the included double-capacity battery, the MiFi 4620L mobile router is still very compact.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

I can't count anymore how many mobile routers I have reviewed, but that also means that I know the Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 4620L by Novatel Wireless is different.

And it's not because of its crazy long name.

Instead, it's partly because of its craz,y long battery life. The router is the first I've seen that comes with two batteries. The standard one offers about 5.5 hours of continuous usage on a charge, and the second one offers about twice that. Combine the two, you have about two days' worth of charge, if you only use it during working hours that is.

Chances are, however, that you will use it all the time since it also offers one of the fastest 4G connection speeds I've seen. Throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, I was able to consistently get a solid 4G signal and download speeds of around 10Mbps, and upload speeds of around 9Mbps. That's comparable to, if not faster than, many high-end home broadband services.

School buys telepresence robot to help sick student

Tim Hornyak — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:26:57 PDT

(Credit: Video screenshot by Tim Hornyak/CNET)

Without machines, Zachary Thomason wouldn't live very long. The boy has been on a ventilator for all of his 12 years because he suffers from a rare muscle disorder that makes him extremely weak.

Until now, X-linked myotubular myopathy has prevented him from going to school regularly. But since the Paragould School District in Arkansas purchased a $5,000 VGo telepresence robot, chances are he'll become an avatar-style student soon.

Zach likes to play PlayStation, so he can remote-control the VGo, which is basically a Webcam on wheels. At 4 feet tall, it's designed to project the user's presence into a remote location with two-way audio and video, allowing for richer interaction than a phone call or stationary Webcam.

It can be used wherever there's a Wi-Fi or Verizon 4G LTE signal, and docks itself for a recharge at the click of a button.

Even Google was blindsided by Android's success

Eric Mack — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:18:28 PDT

Not even Google predicted just how big Android could grow to be.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Back in 2010, Google thought Android had some very nice potential for growth -- at the time, it projected its mobile operating system might even reach more than 200 million installed users by 2013.

Turns out Google was wrong: it busted through the 200 million threshold in 2011 instead and is now on a trajectory for more than 700 million users in 2013.

All this number-crunching is based on Google's internal estimates for Android growth, which recently came out during the Oracle patent trial (see slideshow below). Asymco analyst Horace Dediu dug through the data and compared it with the activation announcements that have been made public to determine that Google greatly underestimated Android's potential.

So far, about 370 million Android devices have been activated, which is between two and three times as much as Google was expecting at this point.

Invention kit for banana pianos, alphabet soup keyboards

Amanda Kooser — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:59:57 PDT

Go ahead, MaKey MaKey my day.

(Credit: Jay Silver/MaKey MaKey)

For the most part, keyboards just aren't very exciting. They sit there and go clickety-clack. What if you want a keyboard that goes squish-squash or splish-splash? Then you turn to the MaKey MaKey Invention Kit.

MaKey MaKey is a kit that turns just about any object into a touchpad. It consists of a circuit board and a set of alligator clips.

A banana piano. What more could you possibly want? (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit: Jay Silver/MaKey MaKey)

Clip those clips onto fruit, people, or pieces of bread. Even pencil markings can work. Open up a Web site or a program, plug the board into your computer's USB port, and you're good to go.

This means that absurd notions like banana pianos, alphabet soup keyboards, and beach ball game controllers can come to life. The only limit is your imagination, what you can fit the alligator clips onto, and a little bit of electrical conduction.

MaKey MaKey works with most recent operating systems. Your computer just sees it as a regular input device, like a keyboard or mouse.

The invention kit is a... [Read more]

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Crave: gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. - CNET

Lenovo dumps classic keyboard on new ThinkPad laptops

Hangers with 'like' counts let Facebook dictate fashion

Related stories

Kodak sticks with consumer printing, unveils ESP 3.2 all-in-one device

Microsoft Store trims Xbox 360 price by $50

Apple orders 4-inch iPhone screens, says report

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Here's what Android fragmentation really looks like

Verizon Jetpack MiFi 4620L mobile hot-spot review: It's a Rocketeer

Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 4620L

School buys telepresence robot to help sick student

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Even Google was blindsided by Android's success

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Invention kit for banana pianos, alphabet soup keyboards