You must have heard about Michael Arrington’s CrunchPad web tablet concept by now. Well then you should also know that the device is said to arrive really soon. According to various sources the CrunchPad is expected to be available “as soon as possible” and an official release should occur sometime in July or August.

The CrunchPad will cost around $300 but will you pay that much for just a web-oriented device? That’s right, the CrunchPad will only get you Internet access! There’s no internal hard drive and there’s no Windows support. It’s not a netbook tablet but an Internet tablet that boots straight to its WebKit browser. The device will offer you a 12-inch touchscreen, Flash support, an Atom processor and support for a physical keyboard.

The CrunchPad might just be the gadget we’ve been waiting for. Unfortunately it will be quite useless when there’s no Internet support, wouldn’t you say?

via Bits

For most laptop owners, many of you will notice that the bottom of your notebooks would normally be warm or at times offer a burning sensation. Among the remedies are laptop coolers to help avoid injuries such as burns on your legs. Now, a company that specializes in such coolers have officially launched their website of cooling stands which should offer you various choices to address laptop heating issues.

Specializing in a multifaceted laptop cooling desk, LaptopsCooler.com is an independently run web store operated by Miles and Krista Cornell. They carry a line of potable laptop cooling stands that can be used anywhere, from park benches to airport seats.

“These are crucial for people who are always on the go,” said Miles.

“How often have you used a laptop and found yourself taking it off your lap moments later because it’s too hot?” asked Krista. “I know several people to whom it’s happened to.”

(Source) Press

Now don’t get all scared/excited folks! This is just a rumor circling the web today. It seems that Apple is considering replacing NVIDIA chips in its future Macs as it looks like negotiations between the two companies have come to a halt. Is AMD/ATI stepping in? Are we going to see Apple work with Intel? Are the new Macs going to have Core i7 chips under the hood? Is that even possible at this point? Right now we don’t have any official position from neither Apple nor NVIDIA. We can assume that Apple is punishing NVIDIA for the recent chip defects spotted in new Macs. And considering the fact that the Cupertino-based company has been hiring lots of former AMD graphics employees we can also assume that something’s happening and the future of MacBooks might be totally different.

via semiaccurate

Stealth MacBook Pro

ColorWare is offering up a limited edition run (only 10 units available) of the Stealth MacBook Pro which features a glossy black finish with a custom matte screen that adds to the good looks of this MacBook Pro. The ColorWare Stealth finish uses SofTouch technology which adds to its sleek look while at the same time protecting the surface from fingerprints.

The tech specs include a 15-inch matte widescreen display, SuperDrive 8x and backlit keyboard, 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 256GB solid-state drive.  At $6,000, the limited edition Stealth MacBook Pro from ColorWare doesn’t come cheap.

LaVie Light Lui Mobile

NEC have announced a new netbook, the LaVie Light Lui Mobile. It is an Atom N280 device with the regular 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 display. There is not much to distinguish this from the range of other Atom netbooks. Storage is 160GB while RAM is 1GB, and there is both Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and WiFi b/g. A 1.3-megapixel webcam and microphone are integrated, and battery life is approximated at up to 8.5hrs.

Are you looking for a smartphone or a laptop? What about both? Dell has a hot offer for you right now. The Vostro and the Nokia N97 will be sold together for the special price of $730.  You can get that special price after applying a $399 off coupon to your shopping cart but you have you have to act fast! The offer will be available until July 1 or until supply lasts. If you take advantage right away of this deal and then sell the Vostro for around $400 (retails regularly at $420) then you’ll actually end up paying only around $350 for the unlocked N97. That’s a more than impressive price to pay for Nokia’s current flagship phone. Right now the N97 is not available from any carrier in the USA so anyone interested in it would have to get it for the regular price of $699 from a Nokia store. And if you do decide to keep the laptop for yourself you’re still the winner! You’ll be paying just $730 for a combined value of $1,120.

via logicbuy

Mozilla has recently announced that they have officially updated everyone’s favorite web browser, Firefox, to version 3.5.

Firefox version 3.5 is all based around speed with Mozilla going on to say that Firefox 3.5 is enourmously faster than both Firefox 3 and 2. This includes JavaScript speed performances along with just general web browsing.

You can get the update now over at Mozilla’s Firefox page, here.

Netbooks are known for their small form factor, making them the perfect computers to carry with you wherever you go (if your cell phone isn’t enough, that is). However, they are also known to usually be absent of any CD/DVD drive making it a hassle to install any software that retails on a disc.

Well, to combat this, it’s rumored that Microsoft will not only sell Windows 7 on normal CDs, they will also offer them on thumb drives, making it virtually pain free to install on a netbook.

While this remains a rumor at this point the source comes from CNET so I’d say there is a pretty good chance of it happening.

The world definitely has no shortage of netbooks with the majority of them running different versions of Windows or Linux. Android, however, has been shown to be very capable of holding its own when booted up on a netbook.

Nokia seems to think that the operating system is reading for primetime as analyst Daniel Amir from Lazard Capital Markets was quoted to have said the folowing:

In our conversations with ODMs, we have confirmed that Nokia is planning to enter the netbook market with a Google Android, ARM-based netbook that would be sold at carriers. Considering this market is dominated by the PC players, we believe Nokia could face an uphill battle to succeed in this market.

Take this with a grain of salt, even though Mr. Amir claims its cofirmed, until we hear official word from Nokia.

Read (GIGAOM)

Experience a modern and stylish way of interface as far as your desktop or laptop is concerned with the release of these new Belkin Mice. They provide a comfortable design that allows your hand to rest easily on them and connect wirelessly with built-in blue tooth technology.

The new Belkin Mouse helps people who spend countless hours working in front of the computer achieve optimum production without compromising potential injuries to the wrist.

The Wireless Comfort Mouse and the Bluetooth Comfort Mouse are shaped in a design that conforms to your hand, for ultimate comfort wherever you use your laptop.

The Belkin Mouse will be available by the end of June in America and July in Europe, Asia and Australia. Prices vary depending on the mouse of your choice.

• Wireless Comfort Mouse (F5L030) - $29.99

• Bluetooth Comfort Mouse (F5L031) - $49.99

• Retractable Comfort Mouse (F5L051) - $19.99

(Source) Press

If you’re on the market for a cheap, yet function laptop you should definitely check out Gateway’s newly announced NV series.

The entire series will feature a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED backlit display, up to 4GB of RAM, 320GB HDD, DVD drive, WiFi, multi-card reader, HDMI and VGA out, 4 USB ports and a 6 cell battery. Operating system wise you’re looking at Windows Vista Home Premium. And, to spice up your computing, Gateway will offer the NV series in NightSky Black, Midnight Blue, Coffee Brown and Cherry Red.

Price wise the NV series starts at $499 for a 2.1GHz AMD Athlon 64 processor and Radeon HD 3200 graphic card and $599 for a 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a GMS 4500MHD graphics card.

For the people who are always on the go and need a reliable laptop or mobile device to carry along, here is a new functional netbook from Gateway that aims to integrate size and performance in a sleek stylish design. The new device is the Gateway LT3100 netbook which boasts of a high definition 11.6” display along with the necessary interfaces that a business professional or student would need.

“The Gateway LT3100 is a smart netbook choice – it gives customers the freedom to connect to the Internet for everything from staying up-to-date on the latest viral videos and enjoying digital music and photos, to checking on the status of projects and studying for classes,” said Ray Sawall, senior product marketing manager for Acer America.

Features:

• AMD Athlon 64 Single-Core Processor L110 (1.20 GHz, 512KB L2 cache, 800 MHz FSB)
• 11.6-inch WXGA High Definition LED back-lit display (1364 x 768 resolution and 16:9 ratio)
• 2048MB DDR2 SDRAM Single Channel Memory
• Integrated ATI Radeon X1270 Graphics
• 250GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
• Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
• 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED
• Integrated Web Camera
• Two Built-in Stereo Speakers
• Three USB 2.0 Ports
• 6-cell Li-ion Battery
• 11.26W x 7.99D x 1.03H inches
• NightSky Black
• Microsoft Windows Vista Basic with Service Pack 1
• One-Year Standard Warranty

The Gateway LT3100 is available at retailers in various configurations with a starting MSRP of $399.95.

(Source) Press

Microsoft has just sent out a friendly reminder that those currently running the Windows 7 beta or are looking to get their hands on the RC, better act fast.

Starting on July 1st the Windows 7 beta that was released some time ago will begin rebooting ever 2 hours and on August 1st be rendered completely useless. The RC on the other hand will work until the operating system’s official release.

So again, if you’re running the Windows 7 beta, switch to the RC, and if you haven’t downloaded the RC yet and want to, do it now.

Read (The Windows Blog)

HP is proud to unveil their latest addition to the already saturated netbook market, the Mini 5101. As you can see from the above shot this is definitely one of the finer looking laptops. But who cares about looks, it’s all about specs, right?

Under the hood of the Mini 5101 you will find one of Intel’s Atom processors, a 7200 RPM hard drive or 80/128GB SSD, a 2MP webcam, Bluetooth 2.0 and a 10.1″ 1024 x 600 or 1366 x 768 LED display. Battery wise you’re looking at a 4 or 6 celled battery with the 6 cell being touted as lasting for 8 hours. All of this packed into a modest 2.6 pound package is sure to make netbook buyers turn their heads.

The Mini 5101 starts at $449 and will go on sale next month.

They come in new screens sizes aimed at a new direction. This is how to sum up the new Toshiba Satellite L Series which was unveiled by Toshiba’s Digital Products Division. These new laptops are geared as well to the budget-conscious techies, carrying a price tag of $549.99.

The new Toshiba Satellite L Series has four models:

• 14-inch Satellite L510/L515 ($549.99)
• 15.6-inch Satellite L500/L505 ($649.99)
• 16-inch Satellite L500/L505 ($649.99)
• 17.3-inch Satellite L550/L555 desktop replacement ($649.99)

And among the features of these new models:

• New High Definition Displays
• Fusion Finish
• Toshiba PC Health Monitor
• Toshiba Power-Saving Eco Utility
• Ten-key Keypad
• Discrete Graphics

If you want more detailed information on the specs, you can check it out here.

(Source) Press

Toshiba unveils another marquee laptop under its wing the unveiling of the Toshiba Satellite U505. The Toshiba Satellite series is something quite familiar in the mobile computing scene and this new addition promises to uphold the tradition as far as mobile computing quality is concerned.

But what perhaps makes the Toshiba Satellite U505 appealing is the price it carries despite carrying the same features that people look for in notebooks today. The Toshiba Satellite U505 are ideal for students, home and power users and is priced starting at $699.99.

Among the features of the Toshiba U505:

Of course you can expect more features to be discovered along the way. But if there is something you have to consider about the Toshiba Satellite U505, it has to be the track record that they have left behind, something that Toshiba has carried for quite some time now.

(Source) Press

The latest netbook from Samsung Electronics, the N310 Netbook, will be exclusively available from Ebuyer.com. Known as one of the UK’s leading retailers in the category of consumer electronics, Ebuyer.com offers customers the opportunity to own a N310 Netbook for only £364.98.

With the growing demand for compact and efficient mobile devices today, Samsung decided to go with a retailer that has proven itself as far as sales for branded computer and consumer electronic gadgets in the market today. However, they are offering the Samsung N310 online only until supplies last.

The Samsung N310 10″ netbook is a smart, stylish and very powerful device designed to satisfy even the most demanding computing enthusiast. The netbook can be used for storing and sharing information, photos, music and for browsing the internet.

Though it was already posted last month by Chris, here are the specs once again:

• Intel Atom processor of 1.6 Ghz
• 10″ WSVGA Glare SuperBright Gloss LED Display has resolution of 1024 x 600
• Memory of 1GB DDR2 800MHz
• 160GB SATA hard drive of 5400RPM
• Windows XP operating system
• Software options like the Samsung Magic Doctor, Samsung Update Plus, Easy Display Manger
• Weighs only 1.23 kgs

(Source) Press

Acer has announced an update to its Aspire line of laptops today and in case you’re looking for a new Acer notebook then the AS5739G is the way to go. One of the most important features of the machine is a Blu-ray player which comes surprisingly cheap. Besides the player the AS5739G will bring you a 15.6-inch LED LCD, a 2.1GHz Core2 Duo processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 250GB hard drive, fingerprint recognition, multitouch support and Dolby 5.1 sound and a 1GB GeForce GT130 graphics card. And all that for just $750. What do you think? Ready for a Blu-ray Laptop?

It looks like Sony has finally gone ahead and updated their netbook mini laptop offering, the Vaio P, to put it almost on par with, you know, those little computers that cost less than half as much.

It seems that sony has added a 1.6GHz Atom processor (as found in most sub-$500 netbooks) along with an optional 128GB SSD, GPS reciever and/or Verizon WWAN support. As Engadget points out this updated version still lacks factory XP support along with the newer 1.86GHz Atom processor.

In conclusion, Sony’s Vaio P looks cool (because it’s small) but still doesn’t live up to its $1,499.99 price tag.

Parents may be surprised that the evolution of technology has brought kids to come up to them and ask for their own laptops. At such a young age, who would ever expect these tykes to ask mom or dad for one? Some parents are not the type to say no but just in case, Disney and Asus bring you a potential mobile device to consider with the Disney Netpal by Asus may be something they can consider.

Built for the young kids of today, the Disney Netpal is web-safe and easy to use. It is reinforced with mechanical design and carries a truly magical and engaging computing experience through Disney’s unique interface.

Features:

• 40 robust parental control options
• 8.9-inch LCD display
• Wi-Fi capabilities
• Windows XP Home
• Kid-friendly software featuring Disney characters and icons
• Parental Controls on Browsers and Email

The Disney Netpal will be available this July in two models depending on the features preferred. The netbook is designed for kids aged 6 to 12 and is available at all Toys “R” Us and at Amazon.com. The MSRP for the Disney Netpal is $349.99.

“Parents are comfortable with their kids using the Internet, but they want to be assured that their kids are having a safe online experience. The Disney Netpal, designed together by ASUS and our Disney Toymorrow team, is a no-compromise device. There are plenty of terrific features and fun applications designed just for kids, but parents have ultimate control over the experience, with the power to set limits on how their kids are using the PC.” - Chris Heatherly, head of Disney’s Toymorrow team and VP of Toys and Consumer Electronics for Disney Consumer Products.

(Source) Press