Lenovo Introduces Expensive Chromebook Under ThinkPad Line for Schools Kids

Lenovo introduced its first Chromebook, a laptop the company says is designed primarily for use in schools. But while the Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook is priced at an so-called affordable US$430, it’s more expensive than the Chromebooks offer by Acer($200) and Samsung($250). So, what’s with the high price tag ? Lenovo said that their ThinkPad Chromebook is more sturdy — the corners, hinges and hinge brackets have all been reinforced. There is a rubberized bumper coating the back of the laptop’s monitor, rather than the plastic construction on the other Chrome OS devices. You also get a high-definition, 11.6-inch, 1366×768 LED display, a 6.5-hour battery, and an Intel Celeron processor inside. And of course, you have to pay a little bit more for its signature red trackpad nub …
Other specs include 16GB of on-board storage, an HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port. For a while, Google’s Chromebook was a single device to show off what its cloud-based OS could do. Now Lenovo marks the third manufacturer, after Acer and Samsung, to make inexpensive laptops running Google’s software. Like its competitors, ThinkPad Chromebook comes with Google Apps for Education and all the management features common to Chrome OS, such as seamless updating and ability to move a student from one machine to another simply by logging in. An expensive Microsoft Office license isn’t required here. The X131e will be available February 26th, for US$430. For the price, we wonder if most schools should consider a iPad mini instead. Touch is the future, and Lenovo’s Chromebook has none of it.

Even though it’s only July, car enthusiasts are already looking ahead to next year. While many of them are sizing up 2013's models to determine price, fuel economy and durability, others only want to know one thing: how fast does this thing go?

What follows is a list of the 10 fastest cars of 2013. It was provided by Karl Brauer, CEO and editor-in-chief of TotalCarScore.com, an online review aggregator and information resource for cars currently on the market.

“Entry into the ‘200 Miles Per Hour Club’ doesn't come easy, or cheap,” Brauer said in an e-mail. “As speed increases so does the horsepower it takes to push a car through the air -- at a geometric rate. … but ask any speed demon about what 200-plus miles per hour feels like and they'll likely say the engineering (and monetary) requirements are well worth it.”

The list does not include cars made in extremely small numbers, so if a car company has fewer than 20 dealers worldwide or sells fewer than 20 models a year worldwide, it isn't included.

Read ahead and see which cars made TotalCarScore.com’s list of the fastest cars of 2013.



10. Ferrari 458 Italia

Top Speed: 201 mph
Engine: 562 HP 4.5L V 8
MSRP: $229,825

Ferrari was founded as a manufacturer of race cars, but branched out into the production of street-legal models two decades later. The 458 harkens back to Ferrari’s early history in racing.

“The technology packed into this exotic sports car comes directly from Ferrari's F1 racing experience, as reflected in the 458's highly advanced drivetrain and suspension, not to mention the 201 miles per hour top speed,” Brauer said.




9. Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera

Top Speed: 202 mph
Engine: 562 HP 5.2L V 10
MSRP: $237,600

Italian luxury car manufacturer Lamborghini always brings the goods when it comes to power, speed and glamor. The 2013 Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera is no exception.

“Lamborghini knows a modern-day exotic, particularly one from Italy, has to achieve 200 miles per hour if it wants to be taken seriously by wealthy performance enthusiasts,” Brauer said. “The V10 in the Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera delivers, with 562 horsepower capable of pushing the car up to 202 miles per hour.”




6. (Tied) Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Top Speed: 205 mph
Engine: 638 HP 6.2L V 8 (Supercharged)
MSRP: $111,600

The Corvette is the epitome of an iconic sports car, a status it’s enjoyed since its introduction in 1953. The 2013 ZR1 not only continues that tradition, it exceeds it.

“Making a bold statement in terms of both horsepower and top speed is the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1,” Brauer said. “At 638 horsepower it's the most powerful Corvette in the model's 60-year history, and at 205 miles per hour it's also the fastest.”




6. (Tied) Bentley Continental GT Speed

Top Speed: 205 mph
Engine: 616 HP 6.0L W 12 (Twin Turbocharged)
MSRP: $234,000

For the better part of a century, Bentley has turned out high-performance luxury cars. The 2013 Continental GT Speed continues that tradition, while clocking in at 205 miles per hour.

“Ninety years ago Bentley was more about performance and less about luxury,” Brauer said. “The company has gone back to its roots, winning Le Mans again in 2003 and entering the 200-miles per hour club with the latest Continental GT Speed.”




6. (Tied) McLaren MP4-12C

Top Speed: 205 mph
Engine: 616 HP 3.8L V 8 (Twin Turbocharged)
MSRP: $239,400

In the 1990s, McLaren manufactured the F1, a limited-edition car that reached 240 miles per hour and was the fastest street-legal model in history. The MP4-12C doesn’t quite reach that speed, but it’s fast enough to become part of the 200-miles per hour club.

"And, unlike the F1, McLaren will make far more than 100 MP4-12Cs available to the car-buying public,” Brauer said.




5. SRT Viper

Top Speed: 206 mph (estimate)
Engine: 640 HP 8.4L V 10
MSRP: $100,000

The Dodge Viper was introduced in 1991. It stopped wearing the Dodge brand name and is now part of Chrysler’s SRT performance division, but Brauer said that fans are elated at its return.

The top speed of 206 miles per hour is only an estimate. “It's tough to have all the details on these cars, both because of their exotic nature and because the 2013 information is still somewhat speculative,” he said. “But we feel confident about the approximate specs included with each vehicle.”




4. Ferrari FF

Top Speed: 208 mph
Engine: 651 HP 6.3L V 12
MSRP: $295,000

The look of the FF deviates somewhat from that which many people associate with Ferrari. However, Brauer insists that despite the new design, the car is true to its roots in the ways that matter.

“Ferrari traditionalists might question the design of the FF, with four seats and a less-than-sleek roofline,” he said. “But nobody can argue with the FF's performance pedigree, which includes a 651 horsepower V12 and a top speed of 208 miles per hour.”




3. Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Top Speed: 211 mph
Engine: 730 HP 6.3L V 12
MSRP: $343,385

The 2013 F12 Berlinetta is not the fastest car in Ferrari history. That honor belongs to the now discontinued Enzo, which reached 217 miles per hour. However, the Berlinetta can achieve a not-too-shabby 211 mph.

“Ferrari has upped the exotic car ante with its all-new 2013 F12 Berlinetta,” Brauer said. “The F12's 6.3-liter V12, at 730 horsepower, is the most powerful engine the … company has ever placed in a production car.”




2. Lamborghini Aventador LP700

Top Speed: 217 mph
Engine: 700 HP 6.5L V 12
MSRP: $376,000

The Lamborghini Aventador is named after a legendary beast from Spanish bullfighting. It’s a powerful specimen, as its name implies.

“Lamborghini has a long history of producing top-speed titans, and the Aventador LP700 is the latest ground missile from the Italian exotic firm,” Brauer said. “The car's 217 miles per hour top speed is appropriate given its exterior design, which resembles a modern day jet fighter.”




1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Top Speed: 268 mph
Engine: 1,200 HP 8.0L W 16 (Quad Turbocharged)
MSRP: $2.4 million

The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is the fastest car of 2013. It achieves a face-melting top speed of 268 miles per hour, and outpaces its nearest competitor by over 50 miles per hour. It also outpaces its competitors in terms of price.

“A ‘princely sum’ sounds inadequate when talking about a $2.4 million automobile, but if you want to go faster than any other street-legal car ever produced that's what it will cost you,” Brauer said “The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is the current King of Speed, and many Veyron owners have ‘king’ in their official title.”
Videos

A new study claiming that tablet shipments are to overtake notebook shipments globally for the first time this year, thanks to China market and smaller tablet. The report explains that tablet shipments will reach more than 240 million units worldwide this year, with notebooks forecast to reach 207 million units. The report also states that smaller 7 to 8-inch tablets will grow to account for 45 percent of the tablet market in 2013, with 9.7-inch devices like the iPad dropping to a share of 17 percent. Tablets also appear to be currying favor in emerging countries across the world, with fast-growing global power China set to become the second largest tablet market in 2013 …
According to the electronic product research firm DisplaySearch, Tablet computer sales will reach 240 million devices, overwhelming sales of laptops this year while Apple is expected to maintain market dominance with projected 64 percent growth. The sales of China-made tablet computers are also expected to reach to 60 million devices, accounting for 27 percent of the country’s tablet market. Smaller display sizes on the newest generations of tablet computers will be more popular than the original 10-inch displays. Tablets with phone capabilities will be the potential trend for the next wave. Around 10 percent of tablet computers are expected to be equipped with phone functionality by the end of the year.
iPad is expected to maintain the tablet market dominance.Smaller Android-based tablets are getting popular.Tablets have screen sizes ranging from 7 inches to 10 inches, while notebook computers range from 10 inches to 17 inches. Tablets are focused on convenience, while notebooks are built for performance. But that growth rate for laptops will slow as consumer tastes shift from performance to convenience. Tablets are more responsive and accessible, easy to carry, and more intuitive to use. The mix of tablet sales may change. With the Jelly Bean 4.1 version of the Android operating system, Google finally has an excellent software that could jumpstart the tablet market beyond the iPad.
Apple’s 9.7-inch tablets have ruled to date. But we expects the emergence of new screen sizes at 7 inches or so, as reflected in devices such as the Google Nexus 7 and various type of China-made tablet which is Cheap and practical, will be getting more demand from consumer, especially in China. Apple iPad mini is already doing quite well in Chinese market. As a matter of fact, small tablet are expected to become our future personal computer.

HTC M7 smartphone leaks through a rendered image

We have already seen the rumored specifications for the HTC M7, the company's upcoming flagship device and supposedly a replacement for the One X. Now we have a rendered image to go with it.
The rendered image looks strikingly similar to the BlackBerry L-series device that we have seen in the past, which itself sort of looks like the iPhone 5. The display is flanked by two colored plastic portions on the top and the bottom. Both areas have a rather pronounced grille area, with the top also housing the front facing camera and the various sensors. Unfortunately, this is the only picture we have for now.
The specs, as we had learned before, include a 4.7-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution display with an incredible 468 ppi pixel density, 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage space, 13 megapixel, f/2.0 rear camera and 2 megapixel front facing camera with 1080p video recording.
It is being rumored that the M7 will likely be announced at Mobile World Congress this year.



HTC is probably going through its worst nightmare as 2012 ended with the smallest profit in the last decade for HTC. HTC, once the number one smartphone maker is now far behind the market leaders like Samsung and Apple. HTC’s final hope rests on its Android flagship model, HTC M7.

The HTC M7 is going to be HTC’s flagship model for atleast H1 2013. In December 2012, HTC’s leaked document revealed the specifications of M7. The HTC M7 is expected to have a 4.7inch 1080p Full HD display of 468ppi(nearly 1.5times RETINA display’s ppi). Until today, there have been leaks only regarding the names and specifications of the HTC M7. But today we have an image(animated image) of the HTC M7 from a tutorial video that shows the process of inserting a SIM Card into the device. The rendered image is incomplete as there is no HTC logo. The final product may be different from this image, but we get an idea how the M7 might be.

The image is provided by evleaks who have always been accurate. From the image, one thing is clear. The HTC M7 looks a lot like the iPhone. The stunning resemblance cannot be ignored. We are also aware that HTC and Apple have some kind of a settlement going and so HTC could get away(not Samsung’s case).

What do you think of the HTC M7? Click here for more details on HTC M7.

Videos

This Galaxy S III mini Knockoff Packs a 3.5-inch Display and Runs Android Gingerbread

If you have a very low budget to buying a smartphone in China, well, we think this is probably the best cheap Android phone you can get in the Chinese mobile market today. Called the BFA16, this cheap Android phone is introduced by a Chinese company called Bifer. Somehow the phone actually looks like Samsung’s Galaxy S III mini. More photos after the break.
On the left: Bifer BFA16 vs. On the right Galaxy S III miniThe BFA16 is a budget blower, and it cost just 500 Chinese yuan (about US$79) to purchase. According to its spec sheet, this Android 2.3 phone features a 1GHz ARM Cortext-A9 single-core processor, 512MB RAM, 512MB of internal storage plus an extra 32GB maximum via microSD. It packs a 3.5-inch display at 960 x 640 resolution, a rear shooter that maxes out at 8-megapixels with dual LED flash, and there’s a 0.3-megapixel VGA front-facing camera as well. What’s more, it includes 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, a 1,350mAh battery and it supports WCDMA + GSM networks with dual-SIM / dual-standby capability. More photos below.







Well, what do you think about this Chinese-branded bargain Android phone? We think it’s really cheap, and has the look and feel of Samsung Galaxy S III mini at first sight.
Source: Bifer via NetEase