Maingear has been tickling us with its gaming PCs for a while, and now it’s adding some extra muscle to its catalog. The company’s Titan 17 notebook is hitting the operating table for a processor transplant, the previous Intel i7-990X being swapped out for either the i7-3930K or i7-3960X. But what good is an internal update without some external flourish so folk know where you stand on the spec table? Maingear appreciates this, and that’s why it’s throwing a backlit keyboard into the mix. The souped-up Titan is up for pre-order now, with prices starting at $3,499. Tap the PR after the break for the full specs.

Continue reading Maingear’s Titan 17 has a change of heart, keyboard

Maingear’s Titan 17 has a change of heart, keyboard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The news wasn’t so good for Nokia this morning, but its new bedmate is in much, much better shape. Microsoft’s Q4 earnings for the 2011 fiscal year have been posted, showing revenue of $17.37 billion — up eight percent over the same period last year, and besting the $16.43 billion record Q3. That drove $5.87 billion in net income, which is a whopping 30 percent climb over the year previous. Looking back over the full year, revenue broke another record, clocking in at $69.94 billion, 12 percent higher than the year before.

Why all the good news? Well, the Entertainment & Devices Division saw a 30 percent revenue jump in the quarter, 45 percent over the year, as the Xbox 360 and Kinect continue to sell like gangbusters. Bing and Online Services also had good news, 17 percent revenue growth in the quarter thanks to the plucky search engine gaining ever more ground against the competition. But, not everything is rosy, with the Windows-related revenue staying flat — down one percent this quarter, two percent over the year. Windows 8 will surely turn things around on that front, though, right?

Microsoft Q4 FY11: revenue, earnings, and profits all up, beating expectations originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wistron? Check. HTC? Double-check. Velocity Micro? Been there. Itronix? Done that. Microsoft has found plenty of corporate entities willing to be wooed with its patent-waving ways, and the company hopes the next notch on its bedpost will be a big one: Samsung. Reuters is reporting that Microsoft is after a $15 bounty per Android handset sold, which, if already in place, would have put Sammy $45 million in the hole thanks to the Galaxy S II’s successes. Why would Samsung agree to such terms? It’s possible Microsoft is requiring that this agreement be put in place for companies that want to to produce Windows 8 tablets. Or, maybe it’s just because everybody else is playing along. Nobody likes a follower, Samsung, nobody.

Flush with success, Microsoft hopes Samsung will be its next Android patent bounty originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve been waiting for confirmation on yesterday’s rumor, about Microsoft’s motion-sensing Xbox 360 peripheral coming to PCs, and now we have it. MS has just now released a software development kit (SDK) for Windows that will allow .Net developers to write Kinecting apps in C++, C#, or VB. We spoke with some developer representatives from the company to get the full details, including just what you can and can’t do with this big bundle of libraries. Follow us after the break for all the info.

Continue reading Kinect for Windows SDK beta launches, wants PC users to get a move on

Kinect for Windows SDK beta launches, wants PC users to get a move on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 12:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember how Microsoft unveiled that whole “Windows 8” thing earlier today? It’s back for more: here at Computex 2011 in Taipei, prototype ARM-based Windows 8 slates and smartbooks are coming out of the woodwork. Foxconn, Wistron and Quanta all unveiled early hardware for the new OS, with chips from Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and NVIDIA powering their live tiles — including NVIDIA’s upcoming Kal-El, which got both a tablet and a super-slim prototype notebook to call its own. Dell’s also got a XPS development station up on stage, which Microsoft used to demo the UI — it’s bulky and ugly as such things are, but it suggests that Dell’s also likely to have a portable Windows 8 machine at some point. For its part, Qualcomm is promising a chip that can instantly wake from sleep, and one of the devices showed that USB host support works fine and dandy. Unfortunately, none of these machines will make their way to market, but it’s nice to know that the OEMs care enough to show their solidarity here.

Microsoft reveals ARM-powered Windows 8 prototypes (eyes-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 22:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re live from Microsoft Windows president Steven Sinofsky’s keynote at D9, and there’s something rather exciting on stage — a pair of experimental Windows 8 dev boards running an OS that looks very much like Windows Phone 7′s Metro UI. All Things D actually sat down with the man earlier today and got a sneak peek at what to expect starting with the live tiled screen you see above — and yes, like Windows Phone 7, this OS is designed for touch.

There’ll be two kinds of applications for Windows 8, one that runs in a traditional desktop, and the other pseudo-mobile apps based on HTML5 and Javascript, but both environments — rather, the entire OS — have been designed from the ground up for touchscreen use. Keyboard and mouse will still be options for both sets of programs, but there are multiple virtual sets of keys for different form factors, including a split keyboard for vertical slate use. Multitasking is simply a matter of swiping running apps into the center of the screen, and you can pull windows partway to “snap” them in place alongside other windows — even mixing and matching traditional desktop programs with web apps simultaneously (like Twitter alongside your spreadsheet). There’s a new version of Internet Explorer 10 (which runs Silverlight) and an app store built into the touchscreen interface, along with integrated services like Office 365. Microsoft says the new OS will run on laptops, tablets and desktops when it appears — whenever that might be.

All Things D didn’t have any details on when we’ll get pricing or availability, but we’re looking at some Intel Atom-based demo units on stage right now, and Microsoft says it will have ARM designs (the OS will support NVIDIA, TI and Qualcomm) viewable on the Computex show floor, and more will be revealed at the Build Windows developer conference in September. We should note that “Windows 8″ is just a codename for what we’re seeing here — “we’ll figure out the real name in due time,” Sinofsky told the crowd — but we don’t see much harm in calling it Windows 8 for now.

Update: Video after the break!

Continue reading Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video)

Microsoft unveils Windows 8 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re still waiting to get our first big bite of the full Mango experience after this morning’s liveblog, but we were able to get a quick hands-on with a few of the apps making use of the operating system’s new features. Chief among them is the History Channel app, which is making use of the augmented reality features that have been enabled. Using the internal gyro and accelerometer the device was able to overlay landmarks, which with a tap can be added to the phones home screen — you know, in case you really want to know what’s up at the Brooklyn Bridge. We also got a look at the updated Weather Channel app, which will not identify cloud types using any augmented reality trickery, but will give you quick and easy access to what’s up — and about to start falling. Check out the pics below, and get ready for a video after the break.

Continue reading Windows Phone Mango augmented reality hands-on

Windows Phone Mango augmented reality hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 May 2011 11:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For all its processing might, Intel is a non-player in the booming tablet space. Consumers, no longer trapped in the WinTel PC juggernaut, are increasingly opting for devices running software experiences optimized for more power efficient ARM processors. Intel hopes to break back into the market it once dominated with the release of “more than ten new tablets” at Computex later this month. Navin Shenoy, Intel general manager for Asia Pacific, elaborated saying “more than 35″ tablets equipped with Intel chipsets are on track to ship this year. Of course, Intel chief Paul Otellini already told us that he’d have MeeGo, Windows, and Android tablets on display at the big Taiwan event. Just imagine it: Honeycomb on an Oak Trail tablet. We’ll be bringing it to you live when Computex kicks off on May 31st.

Intel promises more than 10 new tablets at Computex, including Android and MeeGo versions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 04:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re still waiting for Microsoft to blow us away with its strategy for tablet domination but, thanks to the latest build of Windows 8 to drip through onto the internets, we have yet another indicator that the company’s hopes rely on that OS. Of course we already know that it’ll run on ARM processors, and now we have a look at a set of settings that have strong tablet implications. On display in the video below (and the picture above) are toggles for mobile broadband, Bluetooth, and GPS. Sure, laptops have those too, but here it’s all presented with a Metro flair that, frankly, looks like a real chore to manage with a mouse. (Just look at those scrollbars!) But, with a 16:9 screen and gesture swiping, maybe it’ll all come together. Meanwhile, WinRumors is reporting that there will be six separate flavors of Windows 8 and that tablets are actually quite far along, again pointing to a Q1 2012 release at the latest. Yes, we’re already looking forward to next year’s CES, aren’t you?

Continue reading Windows 8 settings page suggests tablet compatibility, embraces Metro scrollbars (video)

Windows 8 settings page suggests tablet compatibility, embraces Metro scrollbars (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corporate earnings calls can be tedious affairs. But sometimes, if you listen closely enough, you’ll be treated to a nugget of product strategy in between those bursts of mind-numbing financial data. Intel’s call was just such an affair, with chief Paul S. Otellini providing a quick update on Intel’s tablet and smartphone plans. Regarding the emerging tablet market, Otellini said that Intel will have “quite a bit of tablet demonstrations” at Computex running MeeGo, Windows, and Android operating systems. “We’re heads down on a number of designs on tablets on all three of those operating systems,” he added. Regarding Android, Intel’s fifth CEO said, “We’ve received Android code – the Honeycomb version of Android source code – from Google, and we’re actively doing the port on that, and expect to be able to ramp those machines over the course of this year for a number of customers.” Yes, we’re looking at you right now Acer — wink, wink.

Regarding smarpthones, Otellini told reporters and analysts, “In terms of phones, obviously, we lost Nokia, which took a lot of the wind out of the sails for phones this year. We’ve redirected those resources onto a number of other major accounts focusing on carriers who want their own devices and also own handset manufacturers. They are all based on Medfield.” With regards to timing, Otellini observed, “The limit in terms of them getting to market is going to be the interoperability testing of the networks at this point in time. I would be very disappointed if we didn’t see Intel-based phones for sale 12 months from now.” Us too Paul, us too… ARM’s not exactly standing still.

Intel porting Honeycomb to its tablets, Medfield smartphones on the way originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 05:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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