Panasonic — known for their ToughBook series in Japan — unveils the CF-Y5, a semi-rugged laptop that features a shock resistant case and waterproof sheet/drainage system. On the inside, you’ll find an Intel Core Duo T2300 (1.5-GHz) processor, up to 1GB of memory, 60GB hard drive, and a DVD burner. External interfaces include built-in Ethernet, a PC Card slot, VGA output, and an SD card reader. It’s available now in Japan with prices starting at $2,300.

But what makes it captivating and special amongst all notebooks is nothing but its capacity to withstand an impact of about 220 pounds

From Techeblog [via NewLaunches]

Made by Sweden-based Koenigsegg Automotive AB, this supercar is “currently the fastest street-legal car in production” — with a powerful supercharged V8 engine that produces a whopping 655 hp. It features a carbon fiber chassis, “reinforced with Kevlar and aluminum honeycomb”. Top Gear takes it for a test run.

More info here

Frpm Techeblog 

We know we’ve been giving the UMPC — specifically the Q1 — a lot of face time, but we have to admit, even though we’re unimpressed with the first generation of these devices both in capabilities and having played around with ‘em, we’re still interested. And to our surprise an English site called Personal Computer World not only got and reviewed a Q1, but gave it some very high marks, citing its quiet fan, sleek form factor, and bright, clear display as high points for the device. In fact, they only knocked on it for having a “standard” battery life (huh? 2.5 hours is now standard?), smallish drive, and, of course, sucky Celeron-powered under-performance. Will all those 4/5-star ratings they laid down be enough to get users to plunk down £799 (about $1450 US) for one of their own? We don’t know, but we didn’t exactly find it encouraging that Samsung told PCW only “hundreds” had been pre-ordered.

[Via UMPC Buzz]

Read the Review here.

From Engadget

 

Yeah, you could read Engadget’s extensive guide on how to shoot and make your own anaglyph 3-D images, or you can snag a Komamura Horseman 3D with stereo lenses, which was apparently quietly spotted at PMA last month. It’s apparently due get the whole real-world-release treatment this summer, so even though we rarely, if ever, do analogs — and believe you us, we do wish it was digital because really, we can’t actually even imagine buying ourselves an analog at this point — we know there are some out there who’d be stoked to have one. And the rest of us, will just have to wait for a digital mod or back. And an importer.

[Via The Online Photographer and Gear Live]

More info

From Engadget

Looks like all you Alienware buyout fear mongers officially need not worry — for now. According to Notebook Review, the cat’s out of the bag and Dell’s launching (or is about to launch) their second gaming-centric laptop, but this one’s a little easier on the shoulder and presumably also the pocketbook. The XPS M1210 rocks a 12.1-inch widescreen display, Core Duo processor, NVIDIA 7300 or ATI X1300 graphics, dual later DVD burner, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11a/b/g, 5-in-1 media reader, ExpressCard54 slot, up to 4GB RAM, and an optional webcam. Should be out some time in May, but we’ll know for sure when we get the official word from the gang at Dell.

More info

From Engadget

That 12.1-inch ASUS W5F ultra-portable pulled an enthusiastic review over at PC Perspective. They ran a 1.66GHz T2300 Core Duo model packing 512MB of DDR2 RAM and a 5400rpm 100GB disk through the gauntlet of tests and found this “attention magnet” to make all contenders look “bulky and unrefined.” They were stoked by their unit’s performance and integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, bundled Bluetooth mouse, and SPDIF output for full-on digital audio. They also noted the laptop’s battery life compared to others in the class even though their W5F only eked-out about 3.5 of the 4-hours advertised under a “reasonable office load.” The biggest knock came for the single SODIMM slot for RAM upgrades and that “Vista-ready” Intel GMA 950 graphics engine which means you won’t be doing any serious fraggin’ here. But hey, if that’s your gig then you should be looking elsewhere anyway.

More info

From Engadget

Those wacky Germans at König+Neurath have designed a sort of mobile office unit that gives the age old office cubicle a (much needed?) update. Standing at just over six feet tall, the St@ndby-Office is just that: a ready-made portable office cubicle complete with integrated Wi-Fi. It’s made of steel, aluminum and wood and, utilizing what the designer calls the “Plug and Play principle,” can be quickly converted from a sit down desk to a stand up desk via a small motor. The designers also herald it as the type of desk needed for the era of “New Work,” which, while sounding just slightly Orwellian, probably accurately reflects the brave new world of corporate speak. The St@ndby-Office is BYOC+C, that is, bring your own computer and chair. Other than that, if you’ve got  UK 5,000 ($6,312) to spare, why not join the world of New Work?

Product Page [König+Neurath via OhGizmo!]

From Gizmodo and Techeblog