NEC introduces its first Android Netbook, the LifeTouch Note

This morning NEC has introduced in Japan a new Netbook, the LifeTouch Note. unlike any other conventional Netbooks, the LifeTouch Note comes with Android 2.2 and runs on NVIDIA’s Tegra 250 Mobile Processor (Tegra 2).
The LifeTouch Note is available in three different flavors with a WiFi, 3G and 8Gb of internal memory version as well a a WiFi only version and finally a WiFi only model that only comes with 4Gb of memory.
All models comes with a 7″ LED backlight resistive touchscreen with a 800×480 resolution, GPS, accelerometer, an SD and SDHC card slot and a 2Mpix camera.
NEC also confirmed that its LifeTouch Note is compatible with the Android market and is confident that this new LifeBook Note will give the overall “Notebook” thingy a second chance in Japan.
NEC also worked on a better SNS/Mail/Text + Photo integration where you can from one click add pictures to any SNS services Mail or Text in just a few seconds. NEC demonstrate today how easy it was for them to write a text, import a photo into the text and send it to Mixi, a Japanese SNS service, in just a few click.
Finally the LifeTouch Note comes with a weight similar to the iPad of 699g for it’s WiFi only version and should give you enough juice for nine hours of fun. As the price of this new LifeTouch Note is concerned you should expect something ranging from 40,000 Yen for the 4GB and WiFi model, 45,000 Yen for the 8GB WiFi one and 45,000 Yen for the 8GB 3G+WiFi version.
One a personal note and despite the very interesting form-factor and gorgeous keyboard I wished that this new LifeBook Touch would have come with a capacitive screen and a more elegant body. Sure the LifeTouch Note is fast and responsive as well as looking pretty nice once its lid closed but the overall plastic used on this LifeTouch Note looks way too cheap for me.

LG Optimus 3D the world Second 3D Phone Hands-On

Introduced at CES, LG’s Optimus Black crossed oceans and mountains to visit Barcelona today! There is nothing new about the Optimus Black and its amazing 4” WVGA NOVA display and WiFi direct, but we finally had some quality time with it and could enjoy its sleek (9mm) thin and well built body (No crappy plastic here sir!). Like every other Optimus showed at MWC, the Optimus Black is fast and responsive. Now among the 3D, the Black and the 2X, offering the same impressive performances, I am not sure which one to take!

LG Optimus Pad, the First 3D Tablet that requires 3D Glasses?

Sure we may be a little rude here with LG’s latest Optimus Pad, but to tell the truth and despite its dual Cameras on the back and its capacity to record videos and shoot photos in 3D, the Optimus Pad does not comes with a Glasses-Free 3D Screen and it will require you to get a pair of 3D glasses to enjoy 3D content on the go. This said like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (Soon on this later) the LG Optimus Pad comes with full approval of Google and features the company’s logo on the back.
Known as G-Slate in the US, the Google Optimus Pad comes with Android 3.0, a Tegra 2 CPU (Dual Core) and a stunning 8.9” WXGA screen… Like most Tegra 2 devices these days, the Optimus Pad is capable to record Full HD Video and even support HDMI output.
Finally the good news is that LG is planning to propose its LG Optimus Pad in Europe within March!

Samsung Galaxy S 2 Hands-On

Sleek, thin and light this is what the Galaxy S 2 is all about! Coming with a stunning 4.27” WVGA Super AMOLED Plus screen that is both bright and vividly colourful. Running Android 2.3 and a 1GHz Dual Core CPU, the Galaxy S 2 is just impressively fast and makes using Sasmung’s TouchWiz 4.0 UI a bliss. The Galaxy S 2 also comes with a 8Mpix Camera that will be able to shoot 1080p video for you, and even if we could not check the result of our test, what we have seen on the screen was very promising.
So now here we have a fantastic phone made by another Korean manufacturer, if things go on like this, it will soon be almost impossible to choose between them all!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Hands-On

Behold the all mighty Galaxy Tab 2 from Samsung, the one that we were all waiting for! The first Galaxy Tab was a nice little device but needed some polish to make it overpass Apple’s iPad, and to be honest I hope this Apple second generation iPad will be a killer, since the Galaxy Tab 2 is really here to kick some Apple’s ass!
Sure the Galaxy Tab 2 is impressive with its gorgeous 10.1 1280×800 screen but it is also pretty huge compared to the actual Galaxy Pad. We are sure that many will complain about this size increase but many will appreciate this change making the Galaxy Pad 2 now a “big” as an iPad.
Unlike the first Galaxy Tab, this new model comes with Google’s Logo and Runs on Honeycomb android 3.0. The difference is quite important since here Samsung did not add any graphical improvement or its usual TouchWiz interface, nope the Galaxy Tab 2 is pure Google wonder without anything to spoil the fun and to slow down performances.
Regarding performances the Galaxy Tab 2 comes with a Dual Core Tegra 2 CPU that delivers enough power to run everything smoothly and even let you capture Full HD Video on the go via the Tablet’s 8Mpix rear camera.
Snappier than the Galaxy Tab first generation, the Galaxy Tab 2 is a real beauty and finally offers Samsung something to compete against Apple. Personally and even if I have already invested a lot in many iPad apps and Games, I would not mind ditching my iPad for this new Galaxy Tab 2.

Humanoid Robot learns to Clean a Whiteboard, what’s next? World Domination?

Sure this little Fujitsu Robot (HOAP-2) may not look as exciting as the terminator but it too can be very useful! A team of researchers from Italy and Japan, lead by Dr. Petar Kormushev, has taught a Japanese humanoid robot how to clean a whiteboard. The approach that the team developed is called “upper-body kinesthetic teaching”, and can be applied to a wide variety of vertical surface related tasks, such as window cleaning, wall painting, wallpaper fitting, drawing on a wall, etc. And, the advantage of having a full-body humanoid robot means that it can do much more than, say, a Roomba vacuum-cleaning robot.

The research was conducted as a part of Italian-Japanese collaboration between the Italian Institute of Technology and Tokyo City University and will be presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in May 2011 in Shanghai, China.

Panasonic introduces the Viera R3 with 1TB HDD HDTVs and Viera S in Japan

Panasonic as introduced today in Japan two new series of TVs with the Viera R3 Series including a 37” Full HD model and a 32” HD one (1366×768) that comes with an IPSα panel and a 1TB HDD to record all your shows without the needs of an external VDR.
The other model the Viera S also known as TH-P42S3 is an entry Level 42” Full HD PDP TV with 3D support sold at around 130,000 Yen. This model comes with USB HDD recording function allowing you to record your favorite TV program on any external USB HDD Drives or on SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.

HTC Flyer, the company’s first 1.5GHz Android Tablet – Eyes-on

Ever dreamt of an HTC Tablet with all HTC’s savoir-faire packet into an all aluminum body slate? And this is exactly what HTC is intending to offer with its new Flyer, the company’s first Android tablet.
Unlike its direct competitors such as the LG Tab and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, the HTC Flyer does not come with a Dual Core CPU but rather a single core 1.5GHz one with 1GB of RAM and a 32GB of storage. Besides, the HTC Flyer won’t come with Android 3.0 Honeycomb but Gingerbread or Android 2.4. Disappointed? Well so am I, and even if I am sure that this Flyer is an excellent tablet, Android 3.0 brings many things for tablets that were cruelly missing on previous Android generations.
The Flyer will also debut HTC’s streaming content including 3D video games via Onlive and Video thanks to a new “Watch” app that will offer streaming movies and TV Shows.
Among other spec, a 4000mAh battery, a 5Mpix Camera on the back and a 1.3Mpix camera on the front are included; and we should expect this new tablet within Q2 2011!

HTC Desire S, where is my dual Core CPU ? Eyes-On

Not sure what to think about HTC’s new line-up, sure the Desire S is a nice upgrade from the actual Desire but compared to what LG and Samsung have introduced, this new Desire S seems a tad underpowered. The Desire S comes with original Desire 1GHz CPU a single-core Snapdragon MSM8255, a 3.7” WVGA screen Android 2.4, HTC Sense UI, 1.1GB of storage with 768MB of RAM and a NFC module.

Maspro Cute Mickey Digital TV Antenna available in Japan next month!

Back in October 2010 at CEATEC we stumble upon a new set of prototype of Digital TV Antennas made by Maspro. And yesterday the Japanese manufacturer announced that these Antennas will be available in Japan next month in both Pink and black for just about 7000 Yen.
This maybe the cutest antenna that you could find for kids room; pity that Maspro has no intention to export such product overseas.