Portable computer: Fujitsu introduces the Lifebook MH330 mini-notebook

The maker Fujitsu continues introducing new models of its Lifebook notebooks line. This time, the company has revealed to the public (and media) the Lifebook MH330 mini-notebook, which is a new netbook model that was just unveiled in Asia.

This mini-notebook includes some interesting features: It has a thickness of 18.5 millimeters at the front side and 24.5mm at the back side. Its processor is an Atom N450 at 1.66GHz, similar to other Lifebook models previously marketed by the company.

The Lifebook MH330 has a 250-Gigabyte hard drive, a 10.1-inch WSVGA screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600, LED-backlit system with 400:1 contrast ratio, stereo built-in speakers, and 5-in-1 card reader.

Other features include 1GB of RAM memory, a very strong and robust keyboard, and a weight of just 1.1kg (2.4 pounds). Regarding the connectivity capabilities of the netbook, it supports the Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n standard and Bluetooth 2.1. Fujitsu has launched this computer without a CD/DVD reader/writer in order to reduce the weight but the system includes a software to read shared DVD discs, which will allow you to use an optical disc drive via a wireless connection with other computers.

Will Apple launch a new 27-inch LED monitor and an updated Mac Pro?

Rumors come and go all the time about Apple and its products. This time, some news are appearing regarding a possibility: Apparently, the Cupertino company would be preparing the launch of new 27-inch LED Cinema Displays and, besides that, an update in its Mac Pro line.

As for the displays, there won’t be changes (technologically speaking) because, according to some reports, the new displays will be similar to the 24-inch ones that currently exist in the market, which were introduced in October 2008.

With this, the company would pretend to introduce another additional screen with similar size to the 27-inch iMacs that have had a successful reception. This thinking is really logic, so the introduction of a device with these characteristics to generate some additional money for Jobs and his company is not an unrealistic plan, but rather a reasonable move.

But why now and not before? Well, a possible reason is that Apple would have been waiting for a fall in the high price of LCD panels that support a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, but apparently, the new products are being developed since a long time ago.

On the other hand, regarding the Mac Pro computers, the updates are related to the use of Intel Xeon Processors: The Xeon 5600 Series (12 cores) will be used in new Mac Pro models, while another version will be using a single processor model, with only six cores and a lower price.

Mini computer Sony Vaio M: It will be launched at the end of March in Europe

The new Sony Vaio M will hit the European stores at the end of March. That is a new medium-end netbook whose price has not been revealed yet; however, we think that, as usual with the Vaio lines, the price will be higher than the average prices of other netbooks. The launch was confirmed by some British representatives of the company Sony. The Sony Vaio M will be introduced as a computer with a 10.1-inch screen and a battery that will be able to provide energy during about 8 hours before needing a recharge.

Screen will be LED-illuminated (of course!) and, although at this time we don’t know what resolutions it will support, judging by the size of the monitor, it is very possible that the default resolution will be 1024 x 600 pixels. Once again, a Pine Trail chip will be the heart of the processor for this new netbook. Specifically, we are talking about the Intel Atom N450 at 1.66GHz.

As you can imagine, the operating system of the Sony Vaio M will be Windows 7. The storage capacity is defined by the 2.5-inch hard drive that will be installed by default inside the Sony Vaio M; that is to say: 250GB. In addition, those netbooks will have a single RAM module (pre-installed) with a capacity of 1GB (at least it will be the standard feature for the basic version).

Regarding connectors, there is no surprises; just the regular things of a normal computer. This new Sony Vaio M will come with Bluetooth support (a “must-have” feature nowadays), three USB 2.0 ports, and network card compatible with Wi-Fi systems.

Playstation portable games: Sony to create a smartphone with PSP gaming capabilities

There is an interesting nonofficial announcement coming from Japan: Several journalist have made public that Sony is planning to develop a smartphone where users will be able to play PSP games. In addition, apparently, Sony would be creating a device with a wide range of features, so it would not be easy to define it as a netbook, or an e-reader, or a handheld console (like PSP); actually, it would be a combination of all of them.

These projects are the reaction of Sony to Apple strategies, particularly regarding the iPad and iPhone. So, this is an interesting competition that, hopefully, will benefit the end users. But, at the same time, it could be interpreted as an obvious and meaningful evolution of the PSP, a console that has had strong competitors since it was launched commercially.

As you can imagine, the new smartphone that would be able to play PSP games won’t include slots to insert game cartridges. Instead, they could be connected to the online shop “PlayStation Store” (which is currently accessible by using a PlayStation 3 or PSP console) to download games developed for PSP. Sony Ericsson is working on this smartphone and, most likely, it will impact the mobile market in a strong way. However, it is not clear yet whether the whole PSP catalog will be supported, or only a reduced number of games. Apparently, the original games developed by Sony will be totally supported, but maybe third-party games could have some limitations, at least initially.

For the moment, the only thing we can do is to wait for official announcements and watch for the way how these projects move forward, since Sony is constantly surprising us with innovations and unexpected products. After the launch of the PSPGo, which has had very little success, the company needs a new product with a “wow” factor: That would be an opportunity to recover fans and increase earnings.

HP computer: HP introduces Compaq AirLife 100

HP introduced a new netbook that allows users to use online resources in a novel way when they need to access and use web sites, e-mail, social networks, instant messaging, photos, music and more.

The Compaq AirLife 100 includes a 10.1-inch bright screen, Android operating system (full multitasking support), and a customized touch interface.

Definitely, HP is taking advantage of its legacy and innovation in the touch technology. This way, the customized touch interface offers a new touch navigation experience, an easy system to make zoom in and out on web pages in the browser and a set of additional touch resources and shortcuts menu.

This new netbook also reinforces the strategic agreement signed on November 2009 between HP and the European telecommunications company Telefonica to define a partnership that provides mobile broadband services to markets located in Europe and Latin America. According to the companies, HP and Telefonica have created this association in order to offer an unsurpassable online experience for customers.

New in technology – Splinternet: Gadgets will modify the Internet in a radical way (or maybe not)

For many years, the Internet was simple: All of us were browsing the same global system of interconnected computer networks.

But now in 2010, thanks to the iPhone, the Kindle, the BlackBerry, the Droid and, of course, thanks to the excessively valued iPad, the idea of a basic Internet could be only a charming thing of the past.

Right now, the mobile-connected devices are everywhere and, with each day, there are more and more devices. At the same time, we are seeing a proliferation of contents and apps that are destined to be displayed only in certain gadgets. For example, the application Tweetie (for Twitter) is available only for the iPhone; and some Gmail apps only work on Android-based phones. And, if you buy an e-book for the Amazon Kindle, then you won’t be able to read it on the Apple iPad.

On the other hand, many online contents and web applications are protected by passwords, including, of course, Facebook profiles and news from some online newspapers.

Is this a new age? According to Josh Bernoff (forrester.com), yes, this is a new age: The age of the Splinternet.

However, some people think the contrary is true: According to them, actually, today Internet is more easy to access than ever and more “standard” too. What do you think? Maybe, you want to read an interesting interview with Josh Bernoff… but please, read the comments that are below the interview, too. Maybe they are more interesting than the interview itself.

New tablet PC: Notion Ink Adam has been announced

Hardly three weeks have passed since the iPad was launched, and now some other companies have decided to get down to business in the realm of tablet computers in order to try to win share in this market and compete with the new and interesting Apple gadget. Recently, Dell announced its new Mini 5 (an Android-powered Snapdragon slate), which was unveiled during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. On the other hand, according to some recent reports, Micro-Star International (MSI) will also launch a new tablet.

But, without any doubt, the tablet that could become a real threat for Apple is the one that Notion Ink has just announced (the prototype has been named as Adam), since it would integrate technologies such as Nvidia’s Tegra and ARM. Also it will support Flash and be able to play video up to 1080p. In addition, the new tablet is supposed to have a longer battery life (twice the battery life of the iPad).

It is expected that its launch will take place in the mid-2010 and many people are already speculating about the multiple functions and features that, supposedly, will be better than those of the new Apple tablet.

The Notion Ink Adam will be powered by NVidia’s Tegra chipset (as mentioned before) and will use a Pixel Qi screen with low energy consumption. The fact it will support video playing at 1080p is remarkable if we keep in mind the iPad is limited to 720p. Also, there will be different versions of the Adam with different thickness and that is a good thing because there is people out there who prefer to carry robust gadgets, even if those gadgets are bigger, but also there are other people who are always inclined to buy the thinest and smaller devices.

Samsung cell phone: B5722 Duos is available in India

The Samsung B5722 Duos just was launched in India, after being available in some European countries since last December. In this way, this mobile phone is now the first Samsung phone with touchscreen that supports two SIM cards in India.

The B5722 Duos don’t support 3G, but it allows users to use two SIM cards at the same time. Those SIM cards can be alternated all the time if the user wants so, without needing to turn off the phone.

Features of the Samsung B5722 Duos include: A robust 2.8-inch QVGA touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity, music player, FM radio with RDS (Radio Data System), a built-in 3-megapixel camera, and slot to insert microSD memory cards (up to 8GB).

The B5722 Duos also features easy access to popular social network websites (Facebook and MySpace, among others), as well as to Palringo Instant Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ and AIM.