You can use USB cables to charge phones, tablets, media players, and all sorts of other gadgets. One day you may also be able to charge a laptop using a USB cable. The USB Implementer’s Forum has adopted a new standard for USB Power Delivery which supports delivering up to 100W via a USB cable. […]
laptop
Bunnie Huang and friends design an open laptop
Hardware hacker Bunnie Huang is working on designs for an open laptop. Open, as in, it will run open source Linux-based software, but also open in that the designs will be available for anyone to download, modify, and use. Code-named Novena, right now the laptop includes designs for a mainboard and a battery board. You can […]
XO upgrade kit turns an XO-1 Laptop into an XO-1.75
The One Laptop Per Child foundation is offering a new upgrade kit that lets you transform an XO-1 or XO-1.5 laptop into an XO-1.75. In other words, you can swap out the motherboard to replace a low power x86 chip with an even lower-power ARM-based processor. OLPC says upgrading existing hardware is cheaper than buying […]
HP Envy x2 is a Windows 8 tablet with a removable keyboard base
At first glance, the HP Envy x2 looks like an ultraportable laptop. It has an 11.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display and a full-sized QWERTY keyboard. But what sets the Envy x2 apart from other HP laptops like the Pavilion dm1z is that you can pop off the keyboard and use the screen portion […]
Lenovo launches ThinkPad X131e ultraportable laptop for $499 and up
The Lenovo ThinkPad X131e is a thin and light laptop with the latest low power AMD or Intel processors and a reasonably low starting price. We first spotted the ThinkPad X131e in June, but now Lenovo has officially launched the tablet and announced that it will sell for $499 and up. The laptop features and […]
Asus X401 budget 4 pound laptop now available for $350
The Asus X401 is a budget portable laptop with a 14 inch display. Measuring 1.3 inches thick, it’s certainly no ultrabook, but with a starting price of $350 it’s less than half the price of a typical ultrabook. And since it weighs just 4 pounds, it’s actually lighter than some laptops wearing the ultrabook label. […]
Clamshell computers turn 30 this year, continue to fend off tablet threat
It’s been 30 years since the first popular, portable computer with a clamshell case was released. That means the Grid Compass had a built-in keyboard and display, and you could fold the screen over the keys to close the computer up like a book. Time Techland’s Harry McCracken takes a walk down memory lane, looking […]
Microsoft bringing Kinect motion sensing to Windows 8 laptops
Microsoft’s Kinect system adds motion-sensing technology to the Xbox 360 game console, allowing you to use your entire body as a game controller. The software company will start shipping a Kinect for Windows system in February for $249, allowing new forms of input for Windows-based software. Now Microsoft is also reportedly working to develop a […]
Lenovo ThinkPad X130e laptop now available for $429 and up
The Lenovo ThinkPad X130e us the latest 11.6 inch member of Lenovo’s business-focused ThinkPad family… but this model isn’t really aimed at business. When the company introduced the laptop late last year, the goal was to position the X130e as a laptop for students. The laptop was supposed to be available in December, but that […]
Ultrabooks and notebooks to become indistinguishable next year
Today’s ultrabooks are thin and light laptops which weigh around 3 pounds or less, have the latest Intel processors, solid state disks, and quick-boot and fast resume technology. Most of them have screens that are 13.3 inches or smaller. Next year that will change. We’ve Samsung is already planning to build an “ultrabook” with a […]