I’ll be honest: I’m really glad the “14 days of bundles” is over, as what started as something potentially interesting eventually became a series of mediocre bundles. I did buy a few of them, I haven’t played most of t…
I’ll be honest: I’m really glad the “14 days of bundles” is over, as what started as something potentially interesting eventually became a series of mediocre bundles. I did buy a few of them, I haven’t played most of t…
Today Toshiba announced a suite of six new Intel powered tablets and laptops, ranging from an ultra-affordable Android Tablet to a Yoga like Ultrabook.
Starting with the first tablet, Toshiba launched a 7” Android 4.4 tablet called the Excite Go. This small form tablet is decidedly low end, but also comes with a low end price tag of only $109.99. Powered by a quad-core Intel Atom, it has a 1024×600 display, weighs in at less than a pound (354 grams) and comes styled in a Satin Gold finish. This tablet is expected to be available early July.
The next two tablets announced are running Windows 8.1 – and right after Microsoft announced Windows 8.1 with Bing, we see the result of this new SKU with the two tablets being far less expensive than previous versions. The new Encore 2 branded tablets come in both 8 and 10.1” sizes and also are powered by quad-core Intel Atom processors but step up from the Android device with a modest increase in resolution – 1280×800 – for both of the Encore 2 devices. Also included is Micro HDMI and microSD support for adding an additional 128 GB of storage over the optional 64 GB internal NAND. As with the Android tablet, the finish is again Satin Gold, with prices starting at $199.99 for the 8” and $269.99 for the 10” version with availability in early July.
Next up were a pair of 2-in-1 laptops with detachable keyboards branded as the Satellite Click 2 and Satellite Click 2 Pro. The Click 2 features a 13.3” 1366×768 display, a quad-core Intel Pentium Processor, and a 500 GB hard drive. Networking is provided by 802.11ac, which is nice to see becoming a standard even on lower priced devices. At 0.9” thick including keyboard, it’s not as thin as some of the more expensive devices out there, but that can be forgiven somewhat with the MSRP of $586.99. Toshiba is touting their quick-release latching mechanism for easy removal of the keyboard base, and the Click 2 is one of Toshiba’s first devices to have an audio system tuned by Skullcandy and DTS – obviously we’re not sure if the tuning was for accuracy or to improve bass response, and will have to wait for shipping devices to be tested to see if this is any sort of improvement. Toshiba expects this device to begin shipping in June.
The Click 2 Pro keeps the 13.3” screen but bumps the resolution up to 1920×1080. Also added are front and rear cameras, and a push-pull hinge mechanism which allows the screen to be attached and detached with a single hand. The chassis is anodized brushed aluminum and shrinks from 0.9” of the Click 2 to 0.78” including keyboard on the Pro. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is also standard as well as microSD, Micro HDMI, and Micro USB 2.0 ports. The keyboard on this version has backlit keys, two additional USB 3.0 ports, and an optional keyboard with both a secondary battery as well as an additional 500 GB hard drive to go with the 128 GB SSD of the tablet. The Pro is powered by a Haswell Core processor and features Harmon Kardon sound. The MSRP starts at $1028.99, and the optional base with battery and hard drive bump the price up to $1279.99. Availability is also late June.
Finally, the Satellite Radius multimode laptop was introduced. This device features a 360° flip and fold hinge much like the Lenovo Yoga series. The display is a 15.6” 1920×1080 touchscreen. The chassis is brushed aluminum with Harmon Kardon speakers and DTS Sound audio processing. The device comes with either an i5 or i7 CPU, 8 GB of memory, and up to 1 TB of storage. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is standard, and there is a HDMI port capable of 4k output as well as three USB 3.0 ports and dual-array microphones. There is also a large range of sensors normally found in tablets, such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and of course the ambient light sensor. MSRP starts at $925.99 with availability in early June.
| Toshiba Devices | ||||||
| Excite Go | Encore 8 | Encore 10 | Click 2 | Click 2 Pro | Radius | |
| Display | 7″ 1024×600 | 8″ 1280×800 | 10.1″ 1280×800 | 13.3″ 1366×768 | 13.3″ 1920×1080 | 15.6″ 1920×1080 |
| CPU | quad-core Atom | quad-core Atom | quad-core Atom | quad-core Pentium | Haswell Core | Haswell Core i5/i7 |
| Storage | up to 16 GB | up to 64 GB | up to 64 GB | 500 GB (HDD) | 128 GB SSD + optional 500 GB (HDD) | up to 1 TB |
| Price (Starting) | $109.99 | $199.99 | $269.99 | $586.99 | $1028.99 | $925.99 |
Unfortunately, Toshiba has not yet provided full specifications for these devices so we’ve reached out to them for more details. This post will be updated if more information is provided.
Today Toshiba announced a suite of six new Intel powered tablets and laptops, ranging from an ultra-affordable Android Tablet to a Yoga like Ultrabook.
Starting with the first tablet, Toshiba launched a 7” Android 4.4 tablet called the Excite Go. This small form tablet is decidedly low end, but also comes with a low end price tag of only $109.99. Powered by a quad-core Intel Atom, it has a 1024×600 display, weighs in at less than a pound (354 grams) and comes styled in a Satin Gold finish. This tablet is expected to be available early July.
The next two tablets announced are running Windows 8.1 – and right after Microsoft announced Windows 8.1 with Bing, we see the result of this new SKU with the two tablets being far less expensive than previous versions. The new Encore 2 branded tablets come in both 8 and 10.1” sizes and also are powered by quad-core Intel Atom processors but step up from the Android device with a modest increase in resolution – 1280×800 – for both of the Encore 2 devices. Also included is Micro HDMI and microSD support for adding an additional 128 GB of storage over the optional 64 GB internal NAND. As with the Android tablet, the finish is again Satin Gold, with prices starting at $199.99 for the 8” and $269.99 for the 10” version with availability in early July.
Next up were a pair of 2-in-1 laptops with detachable keyboards branded as the Satellite Click 2 and Satellite Click 2 Pro. The Click 2 features a 13.3” 1366×768 display, a quad-core Intel Pentium Processor, and a 500 GB hard drive. Networking is provided by 802.11ac, which is nice to see becoming a standard even on lower priced devices. At 0.9” thick including keyboard, it’s not as thin as some of the more expensive devices out there, but that can be forgiven somewhat with the MSRP of $586.99. Toshiba is touting their quick-release latching mechanism for easy removal of the keyboard base, and the Click 2 is one of Toshiba’s first devices to have an audio system tuned by Skullcandy and DTS – obviously we’re not sure if the tuning was for accuracy or to improve bass response, and will have to wait for shipping devices to be tested to see if this is any sort of improvement. Toshiba expects this device to begin shipping in June.
The Click 2 Pro keeps the 13.3” screen but bumps the resolution up to 1920×1080. Also added are front and rear cameras, and a push-pull hinge mechanism which allows the screen to be attached and detached with a single hand. The chassis is anodized brushed aluminum and shrinks from 0.9” of the Click 2 to 0.78” including keyboard on the Pro. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is also standard as well as microSD, Micro HDMI, and Micro USB 2.0 ports. The keyboard on this version has backlit keys, two additional USB 3.0 ports, and an optional keyboard with both a secondary battery as well as an additional 500 GB hard drive to go with the 128 GB SSD of the tablet. The Pro is powered by a Haswell Core processor and features Harmon Kardon sound. The MSRP starts at $1028.99, and the optional base with battery and hard drive bump the price up to $1279.99. Availability is also late June.
Finally, the Satellite Radius multimode laptop was introduced. This device features a 360° flip and fold hinge much like the Lenovo Yoga series. The display is a 15.6” 1920×1080 touchscreen. The chassis is brushed aluminum with Harmon Kardon speakers and DTS Sound audio processing. The device comes with either an i5 or i7 CPU, 8 GB of memory, and up to 1 TB of storage. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is standard, and there is a HDMI port capable of 4k output as well as three USB 3.0 ports and dual-array microphones. There is also a large range of sensors normally found in tablets, such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and of course the ambient light sensor. MSRP starts at $925.99 with availability in early June.
| Toshiba Devices | ||||||
| Excite Go | Encore 8 | Encore 10 | Click 2 | Click 2 Pro | Radius | |
| Display | 7″ 1024×600 | 8″ 1280×800 | 10.1″ 1280×800 | 13.3″ 1366×768 | 13.3″ 1920×1080 | 15.6″ 1920×1080 |
| CPU | quad-core Atom | quad-core Atom | quad-core Atom | quad-core Pentium | Haswell Core | Haswell Core i5/i7 |
| Storage | up to 16 GB | up to 64 GB | up to 64 GB | 500 GB (HDD) | 128 GB SSD + optional 500 GB (HDD) | up to 1 TB |
| Price (Starting) | $109.99 | $199.99 | $269.99 | $586.99 | $1028.99 | $925.99 |
Unfortunately, Toshiba has not yet provided full specifications for these devices so we’ve reached out to them for more details. This post will be updated if more information is provided.
Earlier today LG announced its 2014 flagship: the G3. Based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801, the G3 features a 5.5″ 2560 x 1440 display and a host of other improvements over last year’s G2. Although the front and rear facing cameras don’t change in terms of resolution compared to the G2, the imaging system did see some upgrades. Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) is back for the G3, but it now includes stabilizing along the z-axis as well (hence OIS+). The big new feature however is the IR laser rangefinder that aids in improving focus time for the rear camera. LG claims the G3 can grab focus in 276ms. It’s clear that the G3’s AF system is one of the most interesting that I’ve seen in smartphone imaging, full stop. While PDAF (Phase Detect Auto Focus) is standard on dSLRs, laser rangefinders are generally rare and from another era.
While some guessed that this system was a method of assisting with auto focus by projecting a grid of lasers that would assist with detecting maximum contrast, LG uses accurate timing of emission vs reflection to determine the distance to a target. Looking at the IR window with an IR sensitive camera, the beam emitted is extremely thin in angle, much more focused than the average laser pointer. This means that the chance of multiple returns is greatly reduced compared to most situations.
LG emphasized the hybrid nature of its system, which explains how the G3 compensates for conditions where the laser auto focus fails. It appears that LG compensates for multiple returns, transparent and reflective surfaces with contrast-based AF detection as needed. LG also stated that the greatest benefit to the laser system is for nearly instant detection of distance to subject for the first two feet, and in cases where contrast detection is used the laser system allows the AF algorithm to automatically skip this distance to speed up focus. LG also says that the greatest benefit is seen in low light. I suspect that in outdoors situations the signal to noise ratio drops significantly. All of these claims will need verification, LG has definitely made a very interesting system for their camera, an interesting trade off between the larger sensor size and PDAF of the GS5 and the OIS+ and laser AF of the G3.
It’s not quite clear how the laser AF is implemented in the software though. Based upon some casual inspection there is no clear reference to a laser or IR outside of TV. It is likely that the entire implementation is done through a single camera driver which obscures just how the rangefinder is treated. At any rate, all of this will require further investigation in a full review.