Laptop, notbook, tech news

AT&T used the prelude to CTIA to reveal three of its promised smartphones, including crucial news for Palm. Both the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus are the first GSM webOS phones in the US and the only ones that can handle simultaneous voice and data. While they switch to HSPA for 3G, the two otherwise share the upgrades that were launched early this year: the Pre Plus has double the RAM and 16GB of internal storage, while the Pixi Plus adds Wi-Fi to the existing 8GB, entry-level phone.

The two phones only have a release due in “coming months,” but AT&T is willing to commit to a $150 on-contract price for the Pre Plus and $50 for the Pixi Plus.

The carrier’s second Android phone is also part of the mix. The Dell Aero (link active soon) is an Americanized version of the Mini 3i and uses a custom interface designed between AT&T and Dell. It shares the same 640×360 touchscreen, 3-megapixel camera and other core features. Even less is known about the device as it has neither a release date nor a price.

All three launches carry significance for the field. For Palm, the release marks a return to AT&T since the end of its PalmOS and Windows Mobile devices, and could be critical for recovering from a disastrous winter quarter where Palm’s shipments far exceeded its ability to sell to Sprint and Verizon. A spring release may also help preempt any upcoming iPhone release and give Palm valuable attention on the same network.

Dell in turn is launching its first ever US smartphone and heralding its first return to handhelds in the country: its last pocketable smart device was the Axim, which was canceled in 2007 after smartphones made the PDA category obsolete.

Recent leaks were proven accurate today as LG has launched what it says is the first fully LED-backlit 3D TV, the LX9500. It uses panels of LEDs directly behind the LCD to produce an extremely high 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio as well as improve the 3D effect through brightness. The set is also the first to support the new Multi Picture Format for 3D imaging: the LX9500 can show photos from the Fujifilm Real 3D W1 or potentially from video without having to transcode content.

The sets will come in 47- and 55-inch versions that each are very thin (0.87in) and have narrow bezels (0.63in) that reduce the footprint of the set. Either TV refreshes quickly with or without 3D, at 480Hz, and support extras like Skype video calls (with the optional camera) as well as usual Internet features. LG’s active shutter glasses charge over USB and provide about 40 hours of viewing before they need more power.

Korea gets the LX9500 series first, but North America and other regions will get the sets by early May. Pricing should be made public closer to the actual release date.

At the currently ongoing CTIA show in Las Vegas, LG was showing off its netbooks, including the already available X120 and the upcoming X200 and X300. The X120 is already on sale at Radio Shack, where it commands a $100 price with a two-year AT&T mobile data contract for its built-in 3G modem. In Electronista’s tests, it was very easy to carry at 2.8 pounds, though it didn’t feel as well made than some admittedly pricier competitors. The keyboard does stretch across nearly the entire width of the device, and does make it surprisingly comfortable to type on, though we didn’t spend hours at a desk with it.

The X200 feels heavier than the X120, which it isn’t, as specs put it at just over 2.6lbs. This can be attributed mostly to its hinge design, which has more feedback and makes the device less prone to bending when operating. The X200 will be sold in much the same way as the X120, though with which carrier and when has not been confirmed. We noticed it was much more useful and comfortable: its 10.1-inch screen has a higher, 1366×768 resolution, and its gets a more useful chiclet keyboard. While it has typical netbook innards with 3G, what may surprise most is the X200’s design: it has silver-colored interior panels and a curved shape to the top of its lid that, at first glance, reminded us of Nokia’s Booklet 3G.

The X300 will not be sold with a carrier subsidy, as it lacks a 3G radio, but it should be the most impressive on paper: it steps up screen size to 11.6 inches and packs a 2GHz Atom as well as a 64GB SSD, which while small makes it extremely fast. It’s by far the most stylish of the three, with a textured lid, though this comes at a price. First, and subjectively, the plastic feels thin and hollow, which gives a feeling of a lack of value — though this is no doubt exaggerated by the very light 2.2-pound weight. There are also just two USB ports located on the rear of the netbook, making them harder to access. Also back there is a microSD card reader and a mini HDMI output, so buyers will at least have some expansion.

The performance of all three of the netbooks is as one would expect for an Atom chip, even including the 2GHz part. It’s perfectly acceptable for web browsing and the odd standard-definition movie, but ask it to do many things at once or process larger files, and it slows down noticeably. We hope that future LG netbooks eventually adopt NVIDIA’s Ion and make 1080p movies a reality.

LG staff on hand did not reveal ship dates or approximate pricing for the X200 or X300, but did confirm they will ship sometime this year.

Toshiba moved notebook storage a significant step forward on Wednesday night by launching the MK7559GSXP. The 2.5-inch drive is the first to hold 750GB but reach the same 9.5mm (0.37in) height as most slimmer notebook hard drives. As such, it can provide the capacity expected of a desktop hard drive but fit into thin-and-light notebooks like the MacBook Pro as well as all-in-one desktops and digital media hubs.

Despite having about 17 percent more capacity, the new SATA II drive consumes about 14 percent less power than the 640GB drive it’s set to replace and could extend the theoretical battery life. It spins at just 5,400RPM, but its very high density, two-platter design may compensate for the perceived drop in access speed.

In tandem with the thin drive, Toshiba is rolling out the MKxx59GSM line, which brings 750GB and 1TB drives but in a taller three-platter, 12.5mm (0.49in) profile more suited to desktop replacement notebooks and other computers where thinness isn’t an absolute priority. Either rotates at the same speed but is slightly less energy-efficient.

All three of the disks are due to start sampling for system builders in April and should enter mass production soon afterwards

Verizon started off CTIA by adding an LG messaging phone. The Cosmos brings a slide-out QWERTY messaging phone to the carrier and promises a handful of social networking features that tap directly into Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, including GPS for geolocation features. Calling is also a strong point as it auto-adjusts sound to compensate for ambient noise.

Costs are kept low through the use of a 1.3-megapixel camera and the absence of significant internal storage, though LG does add Bluetooth 2.1 and promises a web browser complex enough for e-mail. The Cosmos ships this Thursday and will cost just $30 on a contract, albeit only after a $50 rebate.

Apple in one year has already claimed almost a fifth of all portable gaming revenue for itself, Flurry found in a new study this evening. The iPhone and iPod touch made up 19 percent of portable game revenue in all of 2009 where it had claimed five percent just a year earlier. At the same time, Nintendo dropped slightly to 70 percent, and Sony’s PSP had its share almost halved, plunging from 20 percent to 11 percent.

The nearly fivefold spike was enough to have Apple represent 5 percent of all video game revenue, regardless of the platform, and eat into sales of TV consoles. Other portables still grew year-over-year to 24 percent of video game revenue, but systems like the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 dropped eight points to 71 percent.

Apple’s success comes in spite of lower average prices and may hide a much larger gain in actual influence, Flurry added. Where an iPhone game typically costs $10 or less, many DS and PSP games cost $30 to $40 and hide lower sales volume in their prices. Gaps in system prices have also closed considerably as an iPod now sells for $199, or just above the PSP and much closer to the DS Lite or DSi. The two factors could lead to younger audiences switching outright rather than simply getting an iPod or iPhone as a supplement.

Sony’s attempt to mimic the iPod touch strategy with the PSP Go has led to particularly dismal sales as its high price and other design choices haven’t helped its position.

Analysts also believe the iPad could be even more of a danger as its strong early developer support and added power could damage not just handhelds but regular console gaming, where Microsoft is relatively isolated from the damage done to Nintendo and Sony.

“Unless the other major video game platform providers… respond accordingly, Apple could continue to roll up video game market share,” the researchers warned.

Lenovo has introduced three LCD monitors, the 21.5-inch L2261, 23-inch L2361p, and 23.6-inch L2461x. All have 1080p resolution, and the 23.6-inch model is one of Lenovo’s first with multi-touch capability. This high-end model also has built-in speakers, a microphone, four USB ports and a 2-megapixel webcam. The panel is fast with a 120Hz refresh and musters 300 cd/m2 brightness, 1,000:1 contrast and a 5ms pixel response time.

There are also two HDCP-compliant HDMI 1.3 ports along with a VGA connection.

The L2261 only gets VGA and DVI inputs, while its panel has a 250 cd/m2 brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and a 5ms response time.

The L2361p while a conventional screen is is more functional, with an HDCP-compliant HDMI input, a VGA connection and a stand that mimics those found on TVs. It carries are integrated speakers and a microphone, along with three USB ports and a VGA camera. Push buttons are absent, replaced with capacitive touch buttons instead.

While pricing and ship dates for North America are absent so far, a pair of vendor sites hint the L2461x may cost under $600 despite an equivalent suggested retail price of $1,145 in the Netherlands. The three should begin shipping in North America before the end of March, although Lenovo has not confirmed this