New Acer and Samsung Chromebooks coming June 15

These last couple days of Google I/O news have certainly been exciting. Today Google unveiled something I’ve been waiting to hear about for quite a long time, notebooks running Chrome OS.

The first is an 11.6-inch Chrome OS netbook from Acer that will come with the following features, dual-core Intel Atom N570 CPU, 16GB SDD, 6.5 hours battery life, instant-on, two USB ports, webcam, HDMI.

Google said that these “Chromebooks” will have an eight second boot time.

The other Chromebook coming is the Samsung Series 5,  a 12.1-inch netbook with the following features, dual-core 1.66GHz Intel Atom N570 chip, 16GB SSD, 8.5 hours battery life, and an SDXC card reader.

As with other netbooks, both will include webcams.

The Acer Chromebook will weigh 2.95 pounds, while the Samsung will weigh 3.26 pounds. Both will also come with built in dual-band Wi-Fi and optional worldwide 3G.

The Acer version will be available starting at $349 with the 3G costing you a little bit more, and the Samsung version will start at $429 for the WiFi version and $499 for worldwide 3G. This includes 100 MB of free Verizon data every month just as the test Google Chrome Cr-48 s did, if you were lucky enough to get one.

If you’ve been waiting for a Google-experience notebook that will give you access to everything in your Google account in the cloud, be sure to check these out on June 15 from Amazon and Best Buy. For more information on each of these, check out the official site below.

Support Japan Bra… Yep someone finally did it!

Triumph Japan has introduced today the first “Support Japan Bra” set (Bra and underwear” covered by 54 picked support messages from people around the world (36 countries). This “Support Japan Bra” set will be produced in just 62,000 Yen units and will be available around the end of this month in Japan…

Sharp introduces its new Aquos Phone SH-12C 3D

Sharp has released today a new Android phone the Aquos Phone SH-12C with a dead gorgeous 4.2” QHD (540×960) 3D New Mobile ASV Panel and dual 8Mpix Cameras for 3D photo and Videos!

Running on Android 2.3, the Aquos Phone SH-12C comes fully loaded with HSDPA 14Mpbs, GPS, Bluetooth, a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8255

CPU, 512MB of RAM, 2GB of ROM and will be available via Docomo Firday 20th in Japan! Man I can’t wait to attends next week Docomo Press conference!

Panasonic unleashes new Semi-rugged Toughbook CF-53 with CircuLumin touchscreen

With strong sales figure in Japan in both B2B and B2C sales it is not strange that the company still pushes out of Japan its “Savoir Faire” and introduces in the USA its new B2B Toughbook CF-53 a new Semi-rugged laptop that comes with an 14” 1366 x 768 screen, Intel’s new Sandy Bridge CPUs, USB 3.0 and Panasonic’s CircuLumin polarized anti-glare touchscreen as well as optional LTE module.
Depending of your budget you will have the choice between two stock versions a $1,599 Core i3-2310M with 2GB or RAM or at $,1899 a Core i5-2520M vPro with 4GB of RAM.

Official Press Release


Panasonic Solutions Company, provider of collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for government and commercial enterprises, today announced the Toughbook 53, a 14” High Definition LED display, semi-rugged notebook. Starting at only 5.6 pounds and delivering up to 10 hours of battery life, the Toughbook 53 provides mobile professionals, such as inspectors and claims adjusters, a highly reliable and versatile device that delivers high performance computing. The latest in the line of products that created the semi-rugged category, this new notebook is the first Toughbook device offering optional 4G LTE mobile broadband and a host of other features designed to improve productivity and maximize return on investment.

Desktop-Class Performance with Rugged Reliability

The Toughbook 53 is powered by a second generation Intel® i5 or i3 processor and maintains the ruggedness Panasonic’s customers have appreciated with the current semi-rugged line. The Toughbook 53 is designed to survive 30” drops on six faces, features a spill-resistant keyboard and passes nine MIL-STD-810G tests. The Toughbook 53 is also the first Panasonic notebook to support a high definition LED display and offers an optional 2-800 nit sunlight-viewable Panasonic CircuLumin™ touchscreen plus an adjustable backlit emissive keyboard, making the Toughbook 53 the ideal candidate for use in any lighting condition. Panasonic has also increased the size of the touchpad by 25% while giving it multi touch with zoom and scroll capabilities. The Toughbook 53 also offers USB 3.0, VGA, HDMI and an SDXC slot for even greater flexibility.

“The next-generation Toughbook 53 was designed with a substantial amount of customer input and is the result of Panasonic’s goal to offer the most functional and reliable devices for today’s mobile workforce,” said Kyp Walls, director of product management, Panasonic Solutions Company. “The Toughbook 53 is ideal for mobile professionals in industries such as insurance, construction and field service, where a standard commercial-grade laptop does not provide sufficient durability. Panasonic has added enhanced features to this new device providing added flexibility for professionals who spend a significant amount of time working from the road.”

Embedded Wireless Connectivity

The Toughbook 53 offers a variety of embedded wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, optional Bluetooth® 2.1 and Gobi2000™ 3G mobile broadband technology from Qualcomm. The device is certified on the Sprint and Verizon Wireless 3G networks, allowing workers to stay connected at all times. The 53 is also the first member of the Toughbook family to offer embedded support for 4G LTE networks, with certifications coming later this year.

Integrated Options for Mission-Critical Computing

The Toughbook 53 also delivers an optional dual antenna pass-through for in-vehicle use in passenger cars and light-duty trucks, perfect for professionals whose vehicles regularly serve as mobile offices.

The Toughbook 53 also offers options for an integrated webcam, plus fingerprint and SmartCard readers for enhanced security. Enhanced connectivity includes options for FireWire, 56K modem or 2nd LAN port.

Panasonic Toughbook 53: Select Features and Specifications

Genuine Windows® 7 Professional (32-bit or 64-bit)
Intel® Core™ i5-2520M vPro™ Processor (2.5GHz)
Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
Intel® Core™ i3-2310M Processor (2.1GHz)
14.0” High Definition (720p) LED 1366×768 display
Optional touchscreen (i5 model only)
with Panasonic CircuLumin™ technology
(2 to 800nits, AR, AG and Circular Polarizer)
Concealed mode – turns off or dims screen, all LED lights and sound with touch of a button
4-8GB RAM (i5 models) & 2-8GB (i3 model).
DDR3 -1333MHz
Oversized touchpad with multi touch support
5.6 lbs. (i3 model), 5.8 lbs. (i5 model), 6.5 lbs. (touch model)
11.1” (L) x 13.4” (W) x 1.8-2.2” (H)
Semi-rugged
MIL-STD-810G
Drop-resistant to 30” on 6 sides
Spill-resistant keyboard
Optional hard drive heater
Magnesium alloy case with handle
Shock-mounted flex-connect HDD with quick-release
Pre-installed replaceable screen film (touchscreen model)
Up to 10 hours battery life
Long Life Battery Pack (i5 CPU models)
Up to 6 hours battery life
Lightweight Battery Pack (i3 CPU model)
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) TCG v1.2 compliant*
Embedded Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 a*/b/g/n
Bluetooth® v2.1 + EDR (Class 1)
Optional LTE 4G mobile broadband (Summer 2011)
Optional Gobi™2000 mobile broadband
3-year limited warranty, parts and labor
Interfaces
Docking connector
External video (HDMI, VGA)
Headphones/speaker
Microphone/line-in
Serial
USB 3.0 x 1 , USB 2.0 x 3
SD card (SDXC)
PC card
ExpressCard
10/100/1000 Ethernet
Optional 2nd 10/100 LAN or FireWire or Modem or Dual antenna pass-through
Optional integrated features
1.3MP webcam and digital mic
Backlit emissive keyboard
SmartCard reader
Fingerprint reader
Hard drive heater
128GB solid state drive (SSD)

*On i5 CPU models only

Pricing and Availability

The Panasonic Toughbook 53 is available in three configurations from authorized Panasonic resellers and distributors in the United States. The Toughbook 53 i5 model will ship in June at an estimated street price of $1,899; the touchscreen version will ship in July and is available at an estimated street price of $2,449. The Toughbook 53 i3 model will ship in August at $1,599.

The Toughbook 53 includes a standard three-year limited warranty.

Panasonic will continue to sell the 15.4” widescreen semi-rugged Toughbook 52 i5 Discrete for customers who require a larger screen and the video performance of a discrete (dedicated) graphics chip. 

NEC introduces a new Atom Tablet the VersaPro VK15V/TM-C

NEC Japan has introduced this morning a new Atom based tablet the VersaPro VK15V/TM-C. Running on Windows 7 Professional 32Bit, this new Tablet is powered by an Oak Trail Atom Z670 (1.5GHz) with 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 64GB of SSD Bluetooth, WiFi, HDMI, SDHC and a 10.1” screen with a 1280×800 resolution.

The VersaPro VK15V/TM-C should normally be available in Japan within this summer at a priced not yet known.

Tajima Motors launches its light and compact e-Runner motorcycle in Japan

Tajima-Motors, the company that gave us EV Mini Sport Clean Runner, launched in Japan yesterday yet another EV wonders with the e-Runner a compact, light and affordable Electric motorcycle.

The e-Runner, available in several different colors runs on its basic setting with a 10Ah battery that just needs two hours to be fully charged and capable to give up to 36km of maximum range. Another more powerful battery is also available that will give you up to 50km of range on a single charge and that just require 3h to be fully charged. With just under 50kg, the e-Runner is only capable to accommodate person and is now available to purchase all across Japan in for just 207,900 Yen.

Canon to integrate Wireless Radio in its ST-E2 Flash replacement?

Despite the fact that I never, ever use flashes while shooting picture, I am quite interested in owing a Wireless Flash, and Canon may finally soon answer my prayers. Indeed, CanonRumoors announced a few days ago that Canon’s ST-E2 flash may soon updated with Wireless Technology…

And if you where upset about possible Canon 5D MK II replacement rest assure, CanonRumors confirmed that this won’t happen anytime soon!

Pioneer introduces Microsoft Surface like Table in Japan with the WWS-DT101

We all love Microsoft Surface concept but we are still waiting for them to make is widely available to the rest of us! So until then we will have to rely on some very smart guys like Pioneer’s engineers for example to finally give us the possibility to play with the ultimate 52” Multitouch interactive discussion table, the WWS-DT101.

Made with Pioneer’s prieraty software and technology, this WWS-DT101 is based on a Full HD 52” TV with multitouch technology that is capable to to let you manipulate documents with the touch of a finger and share data to anyone either wirelessly thanks to TransferJet technology or to any network connected devices like PCs or even iPhones and iPads via VisualSync (Free App) as well as any USB devices. The WWS-DT101 also includes a PFU Scan Snap S1100 Scanner that allow you to scan any documents and display them directly on its gorgeous 52” screen.

Finally the WWS-Dt101 can also be used during teleconference and allow local and remote correspondents to directly interacts with documents from both locations.

Specification wise, the WWS-DT101 is based on Windows 7 64Bit and comes and Runs on an Intel Core i7 CPU with 6GB of RAM. The WWS-DT101 will be available in Japan within this summer at a price yet disclosed.

Yaskawa Robot Lightsaber duel… The Force is strong in these ones!

At this year ICRA or International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Shanghai, the Japanese company Yasakawa demonstrates its robots skills by performing a “real” lightsaber duel between two of its Motoman industrial robots. Luckily for us the guys over at Spectrum IEEE was there and shot a stunning little video of this deadly fight!

Docomo and Mizuho released their first AR ATM Finder for Android smartphones

Docomo and Mizhuo Bank, Japanese second largest bank released yesterday a new Application for Android Smartphone the “ATM Store Finder”. Compatible with most Android phone sold via Docomo, the ATM Store Finder will quickly help you to locate ATMs across Japan by displaying live information on your phone via a new AR (Augmented Reality) application or directly on a map. This application is of course free of charge and is now available on Docomo app market and will give you all details like address, phone number and other services related to your ATM needs.