Part laptop, part tablet computer, Lenovo’s IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Notebook is a portable computing device designed for the future. What’s unique about the U1 is its ability to detach the display from the laptop base thereby converting it into a multitouch tablet PC. The device integrates two WiFi cards whereby users can download files on the base while browsing the Internet on the tablet in another room. Expected to be released in June, the IdeaPad U1 will cost $999.00.
In keeping with our post-CES theme this week, another gadget that was introduced in Las Vegas was LightTouch, an interactive projector that transforms and flat surface into a touch screen. Using Holographic Laser Projection technology, LightTouch creates a bright 10.1” virtual touch screen that detects motions so users can interact with applications by touching the projected image. Price and availability have yet to be announced.
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At last week’s CES conference in Las Vegas, Sony introduced Dash. A 7-inch wedge shaped touchscreen device, the Dash is considered a “personal application viewer.” It can sit upright on your nightstand or collapse to lay fat on your laptop. Owner can add gadgets from Chumby.com (e.g. Yelp, Facebook and news sites) to personalize Dash’s functions. The Dash is expected to be released in April and will cost $199.99.
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Apple recently its new line iMacs and, as technology fans, we cannot help but be impressed. With two different display sizes – 21.5” or 27” – and featuring a wireless keyboard, the new Magic Mouse, 4GB of memory, energy efficient components and up to 1 TB hard drives, the sleek and space-saving iMacs ($1,199.00 to $1,999.00) are beautifully engineered.
If you’re like us, chances you can’t watch TV without a laptop nearby to browse YouTube videos, check fantasy scores, IM or, if you dare, look at your stock portfolio. Starting at $1,599.00, Lenovo’s T400s Thinkpad is an ideal man cave companion. Weighing only 3.91 pounds and less than 1” think, the T400s is ergonomic, very portable and loaded with user-friendly features such as an integrated web camera and speakers/microphone optimized for VoIP. The laptop includes a 14.1” widescreen, a 120 GB hard drive and an Intel Core2 Duo processor.
After one too many hard drives crashes, we have learned how important it is to regularly backup your computer files. One such solution, Carbonite ($54.95/year), has been particularly effective and we recommend it for any laptop or desktop computer that may reside in your man cave. After installing a lightweight application on your Mac or PC, Carbonite runs silently in the background and automatically backs up selected files to the company’s secure servers. Carbonite has unlimited backup capacity and files can be easily restored if lost or stolen.
