Razer Switchblade Laptop

The latest revolutionary idea for PC gaming on the go

FAQ:

Q: Is there an online demonstration of the Razer™ Switchblade in action?

A: Yes – just watch the video here.

Q: When and where can I buy the Razer™ Switchblade?

A: The Razer™ Switchblade is a concept design (think of it like a concept car) and will not be made available for purchase – yet. Razer will be working with selected partners to design and launch products based off the Razer™ Switchblade concept design. We will be announcing more information shortly so sign up on the registration page to get the news first.

Q: How much will it cost?

A: See above.

Q: Can I see working units of the Razer™ Switchblade concept design in action?

A: You can see working units at the Razer booth at CES – South Hall 3 #30754. If you are a member of the press and would like to schedule for a hands on session, please email Heathcliff.Hatcher@razerzone.com.

Q: How big is the Razer™ Switchblade?

A: 172mm x 115mm x 25 mm , although pictures speak louder than words, so check out the gallery.

Q: Does the Razer™ Switchblade have an internet connection?

A: Yes, both WiFi and 3G are available on the Razer™ Switchblade.

Q: Can I play any game genres on the Razer™ Switchblade?

A: Yes, the Razer™ Switchblade is conceptualized to cater to all game genres. The combination of the new dynamic tactile keyboard, a multi-touch-screen and, if required, a mobile gaming mouse, allows for the full desktop pc gaming experience and more.

Sony Playstation Phone "Xperia"

Xperia™ PLAY at a glance:
Sony Ericsson Xperia™ PLAY
Camera
• 5.1 megapixel camera
• Auto focus
• Flash / Photo light
• Geo tagging
• Image stabiliser
• Send to web
• Touch focus
• Video light
• Video recording
• Video blogging
Music
• Album art
• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Google™ Music Player
• Music tones (MP3/AAC)
• PlayNow™ service*
• Sony Ericsson Music player
• Stereo speakers
• TrackID™ music recognition application
Internet
• Android Market™*
• Bookmarks
• Google™ search*
• Google™ Voice Search*
• Pan & zoom
• Web browser (Webkit)
Communication
• Call list
• Conference calls
• Facebook™ application (from Android Market™)
• Google™ Talk*
• Noise Shield
• Polyphonic ringtones
• Speakerphone
• Sony Ericsson Timescape™***
• Twitter™ application (from Android Market™)
• Vibrating alert
Messaging
• Android Cloud to Device messaging (C2DM)
• Conversations
• Email
• Google Mail™*
• Instant messaging
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Sound recorder
• Text messaging (SMS)
Design
• Auto rotate
• Keyboard (onscreen, 12 key)
• Keyboard (onscreen, QWERTY)
• Picture wallpaper
• Touchscreen
• Wallpaper animation
Entertainment
• 3D games
• Dedicated gaming keys
• Flash Lite™
• Gesture gaming
• Motion gaming
• Video streaming
• YouTube™
Organiser
• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Document editors
• Document readers
• E-Manual
• Flight mode
• Google Calendar™
• Google Gallery 3D™
• Infinite button
• Phone book
• Set-up Wizard
• Widget manager
Connectivity
• 3.5 mm audio jack
• aGPS
• Bluetooth™ technology
• DLNA Certified
• Google Latitude™
• Google Location Service
• Google Maps™ with Street View
• Media Transfer Protocol support
• Micro USB Connector
• Modem
• Synchronisation via Facebook™**
• Synchronisation via Google Sync™
• Synchronisation via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®
• Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync
• USB 2.0 high speed support
• Wi-Fi™
• Wi-Fi™ Hotspot functionality
* The service is not available in all markets.
** Requires Facebook™ application installed on the device.
Google™ services*
* These services may not be available in every market Android Market™ Client
• Gmail™
• Google Calendar™
• Google Gallery 3D™
• Google Latitude™
• Google Maps™ with Street View
• Google Media Uploader
• Google Music Player™
• Google Phone-top Search
• Google Search widget
• Google Sync™
• Google Talk™
• Google Voice Search
• Set-up Wizard
• YouTube™
Screen
• 16,777,216 colour TFT
• Capacitive multi-touch
• 4 inches
• 480 x 854 pixels (FWVGA)
In-Box:
• Xperia™ PLAY
• Battery
• Stereo portable handsfree
• 8GB microSD™ memory card
• Charger
• Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer
• User documentation
Facts
• Size: 119 x 62 x 16 mm
• Weight: 175 grams
• Phone memory: up to 400 MB
• Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32 GB
• Memory card included: 8GB microSD™
• Operating system: Google™ Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Processor: 1 GHz Scorpion ARMv7
Talk time and networks Networks
• Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 8 hrs 25 min*
• Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 425 hrs*
• Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 25 min*
• Standby time UMTS: Up to 413 hrs*
• Talk time CDMA2000®: Up to 7 hrs 40 min*
• Standby time CDMA2000®: Up to 405 hrs*
• Game play time: Up to 5 hrs 35 min*
• MP3 playback: Up to 30 hrs 35 min*
Networks
• UMTS HSPA 800, 850, 1900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• UMTS HSPA 900, 2100
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
• CDMA2000®, cdmaOne, EVDO
Colour
• Black
• White

Razer Hydra gaming-grade motion sensing controller

When Razer called their Hydra a “gaming-grade motion sensing controller”, it left us wondering – isn’t the Wiimote the first gaming grade motion sensing controller? Of course, upon reading the fine print (and being more careful with our eyes), we realized that the Razer Hydra is slightly different from other gaming-grade motion sensing controllers because it is powered by Sixense and has been specially built to draw you deeper into your library of PC games.

Razer has made sure that they worked closely with Valve and Sixense in order to churn out exclusive Portal 2 content so that they can showcase the power of the Razer Hydra in making you feel as though you were really part of the game environment. Before we continue, it must be said that Portal 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to 2007′s game of the year, and the full version of the game including exclusive Portal 2 content can be yours – if you decide to pick up a special edition bundle with the Razer Hydra.


Now, the Hydra in folklore is a creature that has many heads – cut off one and another two will regenerate in its place. Good thing you don’t have to grapple with so many heads on this gaming peripheral, but on the other hand if it breaks, you can “regenerate” it by purchasing a new one.

To put it in a nutshell, the Razer Hydra will allow you to extend your natural body motion directly into your PC games. Portal 2 would be the perfect platform to make sure this happens – letting you intuitively reach out, interact with physics puzzles, shoot portals and leap across wide chasms in a complete 3D environment. Of course, you will realize that Razer’s trademark ultra-low latency and highly precise one-to-one tracking to the exact millimeter and degree is also thrown into the mix, hence maximizing your portal testing immersion experience.

Optimized with more than 125 popular PC games out of the box, you can be sure that the Razer Hydra is going to be worth looking into if you’re serious about gaming and want to move beyond the standard mouse and keyboard combo. The question is, would casual gamers be willing to spend $139.99 on this, or use that money for more useless in-game merchandise?

Nokia X7 set to rock and roll

Nokia’s market share when it comes to cell phones and smartphones might be declining at an alarming rate (the huge war over the smartphone arena has certainly heated up, with so many players entering the fray, and nobody giving Symbian any love), but that doesn’t mean the Finnish cell phone manufacturer is throwing in the towel. No sir, in fact, they have just announced their every intention of staying till the end with the Nokia X7′s announcement.

The Nokia X7 will come in a candybar form factor with a generous amount of footprint dedicated to its touchscreen display so that it will be able to keep up with the times (and the Joneses, in terms of physical design anyways). I think that this closely resembles that of the Sony Ericsson Xperia range, but that is just a personal opinion – what do you think? More on the Nokia X7 in the extended post.


The Nokia X7 was specially constructed for entertainment purposes as you can tell by its screen size, and when we say entertainment, we also mean media that you have thought up of yourself – all original. With its 8-megapixel full focus camera (that seems to be the norm these days), it can deliver 720p video recording as well as a dual LED flash to help you take better photos in low light or dark conditions.

Don’t worry about making sure there is enough memory right out of the box – the Nokia X7 will ship with a 8GB memory card pre-installed, and if that is maxed out, you can always temporarily fall back on the 350MB built-in operating memory. Of course, who are we to stop you from fitting in your very own 32GB microsDHC memory card if the need arises?

Measuring 119.7 x 62.8 x 11.9mm (thinner at the edges), the Nokia X7 will tip the scales at 146 grams, where you will be able to enjoy 2G/3G network connectivity and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi support. Nice to know that Nokia has stuck to the standard 3.5mm audio connector for headphones which is what every good cell phone manufacturer should do. With a 1200mAH battery that has been rated for up to 450 hours of standby and 4.5 hours talktime on a 3G network, this seems to be quite the entertainment powerhouse. Too bad there isn’t 3D support on this, it would have certainly set it apart from the rest of the crowd.

Out in Q2 later this year, the Nokia X7 is tipped to arrive in Europe for €380 prior to taxes and subsidies.

Kyocera Echo launched across Sprint’s retail channels

They say that two is better than one, although some of us in troubled marriages might beg to disagree (vehemently, I might add) with that statement. Of course, the advent of touchscreen technology has gone some ways in changing the way we use our cell phones and smartphones, so what happens when Kyocera decides to take a page out of Nintendo’s book by introducing a second screen which is just as large as the first, in its latest smartphone which is known as the Kyocera Echo? You’ll just have to find out in the extended post, that’s what.


The Kyocera Echo is touted to be the first dual-touchscreen smartphone in the US, where it is readily available across all Sprint retail channels, ranging from the Web (www.sprint.com) and Telesales (1-800-Sprint). This Android-powered device will rank on the high-end side of things, which one can tell through its $199.99 price tag (and that’s before taxes) alongside a new two-year service agreement – of course, if you’re an existing Sprint customer and fulfil certain criteria, you’re also eligible for an upgrade that’s subject to their terms and conditions.

A couple of high-resolution 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen displays are connected via a durable, patent-pending Super Copper Alloy “pivot hinge,” and the Kyocera Echo doesn’t skimp on usability since it enables users to use both displays independently, side-by-side or combined – with the last option turning it into a tablet-like experience with 800 x 960 pixels in a 4.7-inch display.

When you want to use just one display, the Echo will fold up easily into a pocket-friendly single-screen configuration. It will run off the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system, although we would have liked to see Android 2.3 Gingerbread ship with it (or an update announced sometime down the road – keep your fingers crossed). Capable of hitching a ride on Sprint’s nationwide 3G network and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) networks, you can also turn the Echo into a portable Wi-Fi hotspot with support for up to 5 devices. Other hardware specifications include a 5-megapixel camera with flash, autofocus and digital zoom and HD recording capability, GPS, 1GB of internal memory and a microSD memory card slot.

Hands on with the Slim Folio Stand for the iPad 2

The last time we covered a hands-on review with a product from Belkin, it was the Conserve Valet Energy-Saving USB Charging Station. The company sent me the Slim Folio stand for the iPad 2 in advance, and it is pretty good.

I believe that a Folio case is simply a cover for an iPad that can also be used as a stand. This one doesn’t come with a keyboard, but it certainly can do a lot of angles thanks to the treads that you see in the picture.

The typing mode is pretty good for email and any chatting that you will want to do. The material made for it is very tough and form-fitting. It may not be leather, but does it really need to be? It lives up to its name as it is slim.

Alienware unveils M18x gaming machine

Dell, when they bought over the Alienware brand some years back, had many people wondering whether this is going to be the start of the brand going downhill since Dell doesn’t really know much about dedicated gaming notebooks as their lineup had been more of the casual user types. Well, we’re rather pleased to say that Dell has done a pretty good job thus far, leaving Alienware intact in terms of branding without really interfering on what’s going on, so most users would not really be able to tell the difference in the newer Alienware offerings.

Well, Alienware is proud to attempt to redefine mobile gaming yet again with the M18x gaming notebook, and is proud to announce that said machine is the “most powerful 18-inch gaming laptop in the universe”. We’ll see about that in the extended post as we pore over its specifications, so make sure you’ve got a tub of chips ready just in case there is more than a pinch of salt in that claim that you might want to season those chips with.


The M18x is touted to deliver dual-graphics technology, making it the industry’s only Intel Core i7 Extreme CPU option that has been factory overclocked to 4GHz. With optional wireless HD audio and video that delivers latency-free streaming to larger displays, you will also find that HDMI 1.4 connectivity will be able to send over 3D images and video – over to 3D-capable HDTVs, of course.

Apart from that, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports ensure you will be able to enjoy up to 10x the speed of USB 2.0 connections, making data transfer a snap even for super large files. Some of the features and specifications of the M18x include :-

An 18.4-inch FHD WLED 1080p display for the best visuals possible
Powerful Dual GPU options with the fastest graphics memory (GDDR5) on all graphics options
Both AMD and NVIDIA graphics options, in Crossfire X and SLI, respectively
New Intel “Huron River” Architecture with a new factory overclocked Intel Core i7 Extreme Quad Core processor up to 4GHz
Upgradeable to up to 32GB 1333MHz memory
HDMI/Display Port output & HDMI-in
Wireless HD & 3D output options, delivering low-latency high-def content wirelessly or output to 3D displays