Steven Sinofsky, the Microsoft Windows Division President,  recently unveiled the newest version of Windows, known as Windows 8. The release was done at the BUILD conference in Anaheim California to an audience of developers.  Sinofsky called Windows 8 a “bold reimagining” of the platform, saying that 1995 was the “last time Windows underwent a significant bold overhaul.” One can only imagine this new approach is an attempt to combat the dominance of Apple. Will it work? Only time can tell!

In a nutshell the key points of the Windows 8 experience are:

• Fast and fluid user experience
• Immersive and full-screen
• Touch first with full keyboard and mouse
• Web of apps working together
• Experience for all PC devices and architectures

igglu is a conceptual computer system which is designed to maximise energy and be resource efficient.  The concept is composed of two parts, the PC itself and the pedal generator used to create power. Such a concept seems especially useful for the virtual office user who requires a pc on the go, as the ability to recharge your kit with a bit of brawn could become potentially useful!

In order to improve the unit’s green credentials it has been designed as a modular system, allowing swappable hard drives, graphic cards and RAM. The idea being to expand the life of the main unit while still allowing for upgrades and recycling.

[via]

HTC has just revealed the HTC Flyer which is rumored to go on sale as early as April.  There have been reports that the tablet will cost in the regions of £600, but this is just speculation as no official announcement has been made. What’s more, it’s not uncommon for prices to change pre-launch.

So with the iPad 2 already out in the USA, and soon to be out in the UK, how does the HTC Flyer compare? Can it compete with the current king of tablets?

The HTC Flyer has a 7-inch Super LCD touch screen, one which is stylus enabled. The tablet will also have digital ink technology which will allow you to take notes and draw straight onto the tablet, a very innovative feature which distinguishes it from competitors. The HTC Flyer also has the advantage of supporting flash and allowing more user customization by running Google’s Android operating system. It will also have a standard USB port.

HTC Flyer Spec

• CUP Speed – 1.5 GHz
• Memory
  • 32GB internal storage (can be expanded via the microSD slot)
  • 1GB Ram.
• USB – the HTC Flyer will feature a USB, something which is lacking in the Apple iPad.
• Camera
  • 5 megapixal rear camera with auto focus
  • 1.3 megapixel front camera

Video

Check out this short teaser video for a more interactive look.

Apple has finally unveiled the much talked about iPad 2, with the new device getting some substantial upgrades. There were many rumours flying around as to what new features the device will have, and despite big improvements there are those that are still slightly disappointed. Personally I think the new iPad 2 is a great improvement and that this version should have been the first one Apple came out with!

The iPad 2 will be thinner, at only 0.34inches, with major upgrades to the back camera and an inclusion of a front one. The battery is a 25 watt- hour rechargeable lithium-polymer which lasts up to 10 hours for Wi-Fi surfing or 9 hours of 3G surfing. It will be available in the usual 16gb, 32gb and 64gb storage capacity and feature a Wi-Fi only or 3G version.

The new iPad 2 will be available March 11th in the United States and March 26th everywhere else.

Main Specs

Display:

• Same as the old iPad, it will be 9.7inch with a resolution of 1024×768.
• Dissapppointing that the iPad 2 won’t have the Retina display technology which has proven so popular on the iPhone 4

Chip:

• 1Ghz dual-core A5 Chip.
• The graphics on the iPad 2 are supposedly 9x that of the current model.  This promises to open up new gaming potential.

Camera

• Back Camera – HD video recording and 5x digital zoom.
• Front Camera – VGA Video Recording and FaceTime enabled.

Sensors

• Three-axis gyro technology, as seen in the iPhone 4.

The media:scape was developed to improve the sharing of ideas within a group of people working collaboratively, allowing them to access and share information quickly and efficiently. As most collaborative work spaces support a leader-led presentation of information, Steelcase attempts to break these barriers down and make co-working more seamless and natural. This is done by merging furniture and technology, requiring one only to connect a laptop to the integrated touch pad. From then on you can display information on any of the displays set up with the simple  touch of a button.

media:scape also has the capacity to include  HD videoconferencing, further boosting collaboration ‘by transforming meeting rooms, connecting distributed teams, and sharing information seamlessly in dynamic new ways’.

To see how it works in action, check out this short video:

The iPad pillow was created by the Dutch designer Stein Bakker in an attempt to make tablets more ergonomically friendly. Though tablets allow us the freedom to work and play on the go, offering the ultimate in portability, they are often difficult to use for long periods of time. Therefore the iPad pillow seeks to solve this problem by allowing you to view your iPad in various different angles without having to hold onto it continuously. The pillow also has a slot to place your iPad into, allowing for the upright placement of the device – perfect for presentations or movie watching. The iPad pillow costs around £30.

Logitech recently released its new wireless K750  Solar Keyboard, which as the name suggests is powered by integrated solar panels. Intergration of the panels is a huge plus, in that it means that there are no bulky power bricks or charging cables required.  What’s more, the keyboard can be powered by indoor light, which means it is still a viable option for office use. It can also stay charged for at least three months in total darkness, this coupled with a built in power-meter means that you will always know exactly how much power the keyboard has, and can ensure you will never run out. The K750 retails at £69.99 on the Logitech website.

SGI has been quiet as of late, in fact we haven’t heard much since they declared bankruptcy and were bought by Rackable Systems back in April. Apparently since then they’ve been waiting for the dust to settle and release a new workstation, the Octane III supercomputer.

It’s good to hear from SGI. Their new system looks pretty sweet too, with the potential of up to 80 cores, and 1 TB of memory. Of course, this is not meant for the casual user, but rather someone working on high end graphics or animation, just like the old SGI workstations. The bad news is, you’re going to pay for this power. The Octane III starts at the in yo’ face price of $7999, and goes up from there. Admittedly, the system has the computing power of something typically found on a rackmount system, but it’s still pretty impressive.

Press Release

Shuttle and its form factor Barebone PCs are nothing new but this time around, Shuttle has surprised many (including us) with the launch of the X50 an All-in-One PC. We’ve never heard about Barebones that integrates certain essentials. And definitely the X50 breaks a trend or rather sets one in this case.

The X50 is more of a Nettop and it is also being described as the first AIO PC from Shuttle. The X50 is powered by an Intel Atom 330 dual core processor and has a 15.6 inch touchscreen display. Other incorporations include a 1.3 MP Webcam, a memory card reader, WiFi, Stereo Speakers and a 65W PSU that comes pre-installed.

It is a form factor Barebone so the need for an exterior RAM ranging between 512Mb to 2GB along with a fitting HDD is no surprise. With the current set up, the X50 costs €361 with the price for US market still unknown.