2012 Volkswagen Beetle 2.0T Turbo

2012 Volkswagen Beetle 2.0T Turbo is the best of the world

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo's Fender premium audio system is one of the best in this class. The turbocharged engine and DSG transmission work together to provide fun driving.

The navigation system does not include traffic data. Turbo lag adversely affects off-the-line acceleration.

Fans of Euro-retro styling, zippy performance, and great audio will find much to love about the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle.

I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed when, near the end of my week with the Mustang Boss 302 (arguably the manliest car to pass though the Car Tech garage this year), I learned that the next car I'd be testing would the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle. I mean, the first generation of the New Beetle was a car best known for its dashboard-mounted flower vase. "What," I asked myself, "have I gotten myself into?"

Fortunately, my fears were allayed when the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo rolled into the Car Tech garage

Volkswagen's choice of Berlin for the launch of its 2012 Beetle inevitably struck us Yanks as curious – and not just because of the horrible abundance of construction projects in the city that makes driving a relative concept at best. The last time a Beetle was unveiled to massive acclaim in Berlin was 1938 and, well, you can finish that story for us. What is most pertinent in that remark, however, is how the original Beetle transcended politics and worldwide upheaval to thrive on its own merits.

The original Volkswagen Beetle sold over 21.5 million cars worldwide, with almost a quarter of those sales coming from the United States. More recently, our roads have been clogged with the 1998-2011 "Type 1C" New Beetle. We have our lingering opinions on the merits of that outgoing car, but regardless, it sold 1.2 million units globally – a figure not to be sniffed at. That said, if we're being honest, it was never a particularly serious and significant car for its times, despite all of the initial hubbub. We always wanted much, much more from a model whose original had succeeded in marking an entire era of rebellion and liberation. To be honest, though, we in the U.S. have been hoping for much, much more from Volkswagen as a company since long before the New Beetle.

Well, we're finally getting some of what we've been asking for. Volkswagen North America has Wolfsburg's undivided attention at last, and this "A5" Beetle is targeted squarely at the U.S. market. How will it resonate with 21st-century American buyers? Can it rival the Mini Cooper? Supplant the love we're cultivating for the Fiat 500? Steal sales from larger volume and less image-heavy cars like the Ford Focus and Mazda3? So much is yet to be discovered.

  What we can now definitely tell you is that this latest Beetle is finally a driver's car – or at least about 80 percent more so than the New Beetle ever was.

Even the carryover of the never-gonna-die 170-horsepower 2.5-liter MPI inline five-cylinder motor for the base model Beetle, starting at $18,995, will be somewhat acceptable given the use of the PQ35 chassis that's shared with the latest Golf and Jetta. We've come to respect this architecture for the honest sophistication of how it rides beneath us – even when saddled with the "light use" torsion beam rear axle on base cars. To be fair, the aforementioned sub-$19k marquee price only applies to the bare-knuckle Beetle equipped with a thoroughly underwhelming five-speed manual transmission – a piece of equipment that should never have carried over into this new car. Get the Tiptronic six-speed automatic 2.5-liter car with a base price of $20,895 and you'll be able to speak more proudly of driving enjoyment and resale value.

 
 
The trim level we tested in Berlin, however, was the far better 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder with 197 horsepower (at 5,100 rpm) and 207 pound-feet of torque when you need it (between 1,700 and 5,000 rpm). This ovalesque honey with its big rear spoiler starts bone-dry at $23,395 with its also far better six-speed manual, firmer suspension, 18-inch alloys and sport front seats. Get the six-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission and the price rises to $24,495. The ultimate in Beetle-tude will be the 2.0T with panoramic sunroof, Fender hi-fi and a really good sat-nav unit for $27,995 with the manual gearbox ($29,095 with DSG). Add $770 destination and VW can boast a lineup that sticks to the sub-$30,000 promise – before frolicking through the stand-alone options list, that is.

 
We've become so accustomed in the U.S. to base, spoiler-free VWs with their 2.5-liter anchors that we're sort of sure of how we'll like that less-expensive Beetle once we try it. The chassis ought to help a lot, though the powertrain needs to be put to pasture pretty soon. Best to shove those thoughts out of our head for the moment, however, and get on with the improved dynamics of the 2.0T Beetle Turbo Sport seen here. Our tester was equipped with standard Euro-trim 17-inch wheels (they're 18s in North America on the 2.0T) and it was missing the three auxiliary gauges – oil temperature, stopwatch and turbo pressure – that will come standard on North American 2.0Ts. Otherwise, our car was essentially identical to the just over 3,000-pound Beetle that U.S. consumers will be able to buy come the second half of August. Can you say "Back to School gift"?

In a first for Volkswagen, the Beetle's six-speed DSG gearbox is programmed differently depending on which side of the ocean it's shipped to. In the U.S., VW has chosen to prioritize the frequent stop-and-go traffic encountered by typical buyers of a car like the Beetle. Accordingly, the gearing short-shifts quite willingly when left in Drive, keeping the revs low in order to keep the driving smooth. This was, according to the Wolfsburg engineers we spoke with, due directly to customer feedback. It's nice to know they're listening, and, to be honest, those Berlin traffic snarls made us very happy to be driving our tranquilized Beetle in a similar fashion.

 
The payoff of putting the city's construction zones behind us came when we switched the gearbox into Sport. In this mode, the transmission holds gears almost excessively, but we can't really complain, as the peppy S mode lives up to its billing. Our favorite setting was with the gearlever over to the right in sequential mode, since we could then hold gears as long as we pleased. Our car didn't have the optional sport steering wheel with shift paddles, and by the end of the day, we wanted those flappers at our fingers.

When hammering on the 2.0T, the engine quite unexpectedly revealed a broader, more vocal soundtrack. VW's global product specialist for all things Beetle, Oliver Riess, was kind enough to clue us in as to why. According to Reiss, an extra resonator has been engineered into the intake plenum to produce more entertaining noises from the footwell area. It was also clear to us that getting to 60 mph in under 7.5 seconds won't be any trouble, so this isn't just all sound and no fury.

 
Speaking of added sound aids, only European 2.0T Beetles will receive five-layer acoustic front glass panels as standard equipment. This is a shame, since the difference we heard and felt with the use of this sound deadening measure is quite pronounced. North America will have to settle for a four-layer substitute and a slightly more economy-car timbre while motoring along. The next time you head to Europe, rent a Beetle or Golf and you'll hear what we mean.

There was actually a stretch of no-limit autobahn outside of Berlin, and while traveling at 130 mph-plus over several sparsely trafficked miles in the flatlands, this new Beetle was vastly more stable than the outgoing New Beetle ever was. That's not too surprising, as the new model sits half an inch lower, is 3.3 inches wider and stretches itself out 6.0 inches longer. The sport suspension – and perhaps the rear spoiler – helped keep things very stable and trustworthy, with little susceptibility to crosswinds. Noise from the Beetle's more upright windscreen and larger side-view mirrors was surprisingly low. Our sole quibble here is that the sport suspension mixed with the Continental ContiPremiumContact2 tires (sized 215/55 R17 94W front and rear) occasionally created a bit of Euro-style "tire-slap" with excessive initial rebound from the dampers and springs. Even so, it never really roughed us up.

  
We see the Beetle's new design as very astute. It's rather cute, yet it has more of the cojones VW has been looking for in order to gain a bit more street cred with male buyers. But after a whole day spent driving and photographing our car from all angles, we remain convinced that VW designers could have played around a lot more with the Beetle aesthetic. We dig its new profile and the decision to relocate the cabin rearward to create a slightly more mainstream package, but it's not like the creators really needed to respect the outgoing New Beetle super-oval "aquarium look" so much.

At one point – strike us dead for it – we found ourselves looking through the camera's viewfinder, only to get an impression in our mind that wouldn't go away. Looking up from the camera and staring at the Beetle's profile, we whispered, "PT Cruiser." What's more, the tail end is slightly raised à la Cruiser, and we think a level stance would suit it better. (See the VW Ragster droptop concept from 2005 for notes.)

 

 

 

The LG Thrill 4G (AT&T) is the best of any other.

LG Thrill 4G (AT&T)

Are you excited that a 3D phone is coming to AT&T? If you answered yes, sit down and think happy thoughts, because we're now hearing that the Thrill 4G aka the LG Optimus 3D may be delayed once more. According to a screenshot leaked from Radio Shack, the ill-fated device is getting pushed back to a tentative September 4th launch date for unknown reasons. As such, the reseller's putting a halt on pre-orders of the phone until further notice. We've reached out to AT&T for official comment and will let you know if we hear anything back. Regardless, at the rate this phone is going, the Thrill is quickly devolving into a depression.

The LG Thrill 4G offers a glasses-free 3D display and comes preloaded with 3D content, as well as stereoscopic cameras for capturing 3D photo and video. The Android smartphone features a dual-core processor and an HDMI port.

The LG Thrill 4G has been a long time coming. First released to the European market as the LG Optimus 3D and then announced for AT&T at CTIA 2011, the Android smartphone has yet to hit the streets, but its launch seems to be imminent. With official pricing set at an attractive $99.99 with a two-year contract, the Thrill 4G offers a glasses-free 3D display, dual cameras for 3D photo and video capture, and preloaded games and video, and in a number of ways, the 3D experience is better than on ...

 

Pricing for the LG Thrill 4G popped up on Radio Shack's corporate systems a few days ago, at $80 with a two-year contract. AT&T just shared its official Thrill pricing, however, with the glasses-free 3D smartphone commanding a healthy $99 at the company's retails stores when it ships "in the coming weeks." That timeframe meshes nicely with the August 7th launch date that a pair of Radio Shack insiders shared with us last week, though until we receive confirmation otherwise, it's within reason to expect that devices will begin to ship before or even after that date. Either way, it doesn't look like you'll need to hold out much longer for your Thrill, with only a few more days of tranquility to go before the excitement begins.

Even though the LG Thrill 4G was announced in March, we're just now getting confirmation about its price. AT&T has told us that the LG Thrill 4G will be selling for $99.99 after a two-year service agreement. As for availability, well, we still don't know the exact date, but we expect that to be announced shortly. 

As a reminder, the LG Thrill 4G is essentially the U.S. version of the LG Optimus 3D. Indeed, it'll have a glasses-free display similar to the HTC Evo 3D, and will launch with Android 2.2 (We erroneously mentioned it would ship with Android 2.3 earlier).

Other specs include a dual-core 1GHz dual-channel RAM processor, two 5-megapixel stereoscopic 3D cameras on the back that can record 720p video in 3D and 1080p in 2D, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and more. Also, as its name suggests, it'll support AT&T's HSPA+ "4G" network.

Physical Features and Call Quality

The LG Thrill 4G is a slab-style phone that looks a heck of a lot like every other black slab on the market, until you turn it over and see the two lenses for the 3D camera. At 5.0 by 2.7 by .5 inches (HWD) and 5.9 ounces it doesn't sound very heavy on paper, but for some reason the phone felt very dense to me, especially when compared with the larger yet lighter Sprint Motorola Photon 4G ($199, 4.5 stars). The phone's HDMI and USB ports are right next to each other on the left side, covered by swinging plastic doors. I found the Power button on the top panel a bit mushy. The Thrill also has a 3D button where the camera button should be. Over and over again, I kept clicking the button thinking it would either activate the camera or shoot a picture while in the camera app, and instead it activated the 3D mode.

I'm also not excited about the 4.3-inch, 800-by-480 screen. While it looks great indoors, with rich colors, it washes out too easily outdoors, sometimes showing fingerprints as much as the underlying image. The filter needed to turn the screen into a parallax-barrier 3D panel is at least partially at fault here.

A very good voice phone, reception on AT&T's 3G network was unusually strong in my tests. Sound through the earpiece was loud, and a bit muddy but not too bad. The earpiece didn't distort at high volumes. There was no side tone. The speakerphone was extremely loud and clear, one of the loudest I've heard recently. Transmissions were also excellent, clear and loud. The phone paired easily with my Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset ($129, 4.5 stars) and triggered the accurate voice dialing. Talk time, at 8 hours 35 minutes, was solid.

There's one thing the Thrill isn't, though: 4G. You're getting HSPA 14.4 here, which is a 3G technology. Internet speeds were fast thanks to the dual-core processor and good signal strength: I got 3.5Mbps down and about 650Kbps up on several speed tests with the Ookla Speedtest.net app. The phone works as a tethered modem or Wi-Fi hotspot with the appropriate plan, and integrates 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. Its GPS locked in quickly in midtown Manhattan in my tests.

3D Performance

AT&T didn't call this phone the "LG Thrill 3D," and that's probably wise. While 3D is a great gimmick for the Thrill 4G, and the phone handles it better in many ways than Sprint's competing HTC EVO 3D ($199, 3 stars), the Thrill's screen just isn't up to the task of a fully 3D life.

LG makes it easier to find and use 3D content than HTC does. Right at the bottom of the home screen, there's an icon marked "3D Space" which launches a carousel of 3D content: the 3D camera mode, the gallery, games, and YouTube.

3D apps appear in their own folder in the App Drawer. The phone comes with three full, 3D games, and they're great games: Asphalt 6, NOVA HD and Let's Golf 2. An AT&T movie store, run by mSpot, rents expensive movies for $4.49-4.99/day, including some 3D titles.

The Thrill is also much better than the EVO 3D at playing 3D files you've gotten from elsewhere. If you have a 3D video, you can tell the phone how to display it; the Thrill had no problem showing movies I ripped off a 3D Blu-Ray disc, even through its HDMI port on a 3DTV.

But the Thrill's screen just isn't ideal. With its lower 800-by-480 resolution as compared with the EVO 3D's 960-by-540, photos and videos looked noticeably grainy, and my eyes had a lot of trouble locking in 3D planes. Also, just like the EVO 3D, the Thrill doesn't have a 3D viewing angle. It has a viewing point, and if you don't hold the phone in exactly the right place, you get double vision.

Android and App Performance

The Thrill 4G runs Android 2.2.2 on a TI OMAP 4430 chipset, the same dual-core, 1GHz processor found in the Motorola Droid 3 ($199, 3 stars) for Verizon Wireless. According to our benchmarks, it's of comparable speed to the Droid 3 and Nvidia Tegra 2-powered phones like the Motorola Atrix 4G ($199, 4 stars) and Motorola Photon, and faster than the HTC EVO 3D, not to mention single-core phones like the Samsung Captivate.

 

 

The LG Envoy - black (U.S. Cellular) is the best of any other.

LG Envoy - black (U.S. Cellular)

The LG Envoy has a slim and simple design with a roomy keypad. Features include a speakerphone, voice commands, and Bluetooth. It's very affordable, and call quality is fantastic.

Meet the LG Envoy. It has a 2.2-inch QVGA (176 x 220) internal display, a VGA camera, Bluetooth, Cellular’s easyedge service, 24MB internal memory, speakerphone, WAP Web Browser, 1,000 mAh Battery and microSD card support. The LG Envoy measures 3.76" x 1.94" x 0.70" and weights 3.39 oz. LG Cell Phone Previews.

The LG Envoy can be yours for $9.99 with a new contract or $29.99 on a pre-paid plan from the U.S. Cellular. If the above sounds interesting enough to you that you’d like to purchase a LG Envoy, head on over to U.S. Cellular web site right now and do just that.

Not everyone needs a smartphone or even a high-end handset. LG and U.S. Cellular hope so at least, as they have partnered up to introduce the LG Envoy, an entry-level clamshell that’s pretty bare bones when it comes to features. You won’t find a music player on here, and 3G seekers will be out of luck. Yet, the Envoy does satisfy the basic requirements for a decent consumer handheld–it’s slim, compact, and it makes calls. LG also threw Bluetooth and a VGA camera in there to sweeten the deal. As you might expect, one of the Envoy’s biggest attractions is its price, and it doesn’t disappoint at only $9.99 after the usual discounts and agreements. 

Design
The LG Envoy has a very simple clamshell design, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. At 3.75 inches long by 1.94 inches wide by 0.7 inch thick, the Envoy is decidedly compact and pocket-friendly. It has straight sides, rounded corners, and subtle curves along the edges that result in a comfortable feel in the hand. The Envoy is clad in a glossy piano black plastic that makes it feel rather cheap. 

Sitting on the front of the phone is a camera lens at the top plus a 0.98-inch external display underneath it. The display is a grayscale CSTN with 96×64-pixel resolution and is not meant for much more than showing basic information. It displays the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and incoming caller ID. A 2.5mm headset jack, volume rocker, and Micro-USB port sit on the left spine, while a camera button sits on the right.

The phone flips open easily yet firmly thanks to the Envoy’s sturdy hinge. When you do so, you’ll reveal the phone’s 2.2-inch 260,000-color TFT display with a 220×176-pixel resolution. While the screen didn’t exactly dazzle us, we found it perfectly serviceable for a basic phone like this. The screen is bright and colorful, and text is legible enough. Graphics were a bit more pixelated than we would like, but that’s a minor complaint. You can adjust the wallpaper, the banner text, the backlight timer, the menu style, language, the appearance of the clock and calendar, the font type, and the style and size of the dial fonts. You can also have the phone match the number to the name in your phonebook as you’re dialing. 

Features
The LG Envoy has a simple 1,000-entry phone book, with room in each entry for seven numbers, two e-mail addresses, a URL, and a memo. You can also add a photo for caller ID and any of 28 sounds to be used as either a custom ringtone or message tone. If you prefer, you can set your own MP3s as a ringtone. You can organize your contacts into caller groups as well.

The HP Pavilion P7 1070T offers faster Photoshop CS5 performance

HP Pavilion p7 1070t

The HP Pavilion P7 1070T offers faster Photoshop CS5 performance than competing systems in its price range

In a competitive vacuum we would find the HP Pavilion P7 1070T a fine mainstream desktop computer, but except for Photoshop CS5-users, you can get more PC for your money from other vendors.

Memory Upgrade for HewlettPackard Pavilion p7-1070t Computer, the HewlettPackard Pavilion p7-1070t Computer takes the PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM 240pin DIMM Memory Type, and comes installed with 2GB (Removable) of Memory. You can upgrade your HewlettPackard Pavilion p7-1070t Computer to up to a maximum of 8GB Memory, the system has 2 Sockets (2 banks of 1) to install Memory, already with 2GB (Removable) standard Memory installed. For best Computer performance use the maximum amount of allowed Memory per slot for your Computer.
Choose the following Memory Upgrade for HewlettPackard Pavilion p7-1070t Computer.

MemoryStock Guarantee

We have thousands of satisfied customers, and we stand behind our products, MemoryStock guarantee compatible Memory upgrade for your HewlettPackard Pavilion p7-1070t Computer, and we carry a lifetime warranty for all HewlettPackard Computer Memory upgrade. We supply compatible Memory Upgrades for many HewlettPackard Computers, we also carry other Laptop, Desktop, Servers, Cisco Routers, Printers Memory upgrades. Memory listed for the HewlettPackard Pavilion p7-1070t Computer are instock, and all orders placed are shipped same day from Monday to Friday, shipping cut-off time is 3PM CA time.


HP Pavilion p7-1070t Product Specifications and Configurable Options


Included Hardware


Hardware Options


Included Software


Software Options


HP Care Pack Services


An HP configure-to-order (CTO) PC is a PC that can be purchased with options and components that fit your needs. This document provides specification information about base options and lists which available components were offered for this PC model.
NOTE: Information in this document is subject to change without notice
Model name and product number
This document contains basic features and specification for the following HP CTO model:
• HP Pavilion p7-1070t
• Product number: LP011AV
Introduction date
18-May-2011
Country/region sold in:
• United States
Included Hardware
Hardware Component Specifications
Motherboard Name • Manufacturer: Pegatron
• HP: Carmel
Chipset • Intel H61
Memory • Memory slots: 2 DIMMS
• Maximum memory:
o 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) (64-bit OS)
o 4 GB* (2 x 2 GB) (32-bit OS)
*Actual available memory may be less
Front-side-bus (processor dependent) • Up to 2.5 GT/s
Power output wattage • 300 Watt
Expansion Slots • PCI Express x16: 1
• PCI Express x1: 3
• PCI Express x1 minicard socket: 1
Drive Bays • 13.33 cm (5.25 inch): 2
• 8.89 cm (3.5 inch): 2
Hardware Options
Hardware Component Options
Processor Must select one of the following options:
• Core i3-2100 (Sandybridge) (65W), 3.1 GHz
• Core i3-2120 (Sandybridge) (65W), 3.3 GHz
• Core i5-2400s (Sandybridge) (65W), 2.5 GHz
• Core i5-2500s (Sandybridge) (65W), 2.7 GHz
Memory Must select one of the following options:
• 4 GB (2 x 2 GB) DDR3 PC3-10600
• 6 GB (1 x 4 GB, 1 x 2 GB) DDR3 PC3-10600
• 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3 PC3-10600
Hard Drive Must select one of the following options:
• 500 GB, 7200 rpm, SATA 3G
• 750 GB, 7200 rpm, SATA 3G
• 1 TB, 7200 rpm, SATA 3G
• 1.5 TB, 7200 rpm, SATA 3G
Primary Optical Drive Must select one of the following options:
• 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti DVD Burner with external eject;
• 6x SuperMulti Blu-ray Player with external eject
• 4x SuperMulti Blu-ray Burner
Secondary Optical Drive • DVD Player (read: up to 16x DVD-ROM, up to 40x CD-ROM)
• 6x SuperMulti Blu-ray Player external eject
TV Must select one of the following options:
• No TV Tuner
• Hauppauge ATSC/NTSC/QAM PCI Express x1 TV tuner card
Networking Must select one of the following options:
• No networking
• 802.11 b/g/n PCI Express Wireless Mini Card 2x2
• 802.11 b/g/n PCI Express x1 Wireless Mini Card 1x1
• 802.11 b/g/n PCI Express Wireless Mini Card 2x2 + Bluetooth
Graphics Must select one of the following options:
• Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD
• GeForce 405 (1 GB)
• GeForce GT420 (2 GB)
• GeForce GT520 (1 GB)
• GeForce GT530 (2 GB)
• Radeon HD 6450 (512 MB)
• Radeon HD 6450 (1 GB)
• Radeon HD 6570 (1 GB) single bracket; DVI, HDMI, & VGA via adapter
• Radeon HD 6570 (1 GB) single bracket; DVI, HDMI, DP & VGA via adapter
Sound Must select one of the following options:
• Integrated sound
• SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
Front Productivity Ports Must select one of the following options:
• 15-in-1 multimedia card reader + 4 USB + 1 headphone jack + 1 microphone jack
• 15-in-1 multimedia card reader + 2 USB + 1 headphone jack + 1 microphone jack
Keyboard and Mouse Must select one of the following options:
• HP USB wired keyboard with volume control and mouse
• HP wireless kit
• Logitech cordless desktop wave keyboard and mouse
• Logitech keyboard/laser mouse combo with in curve keys
Monitors • 2011x 50.8 cm (20 inch) WLED backlit monitor
• 2211x 54.6 cm (21.5 inch) WLED backlit monitor
• 2311x 58.4 cm (23 inch) WLED backlit monitor
• 2511x 63.5 cm (25 inch WLED backlit monitor
• 2711x 68.5 cm (27 inch) WLED backlit monitor
Included Software
Software Category Options
Digital Media Software • CyberLink Media Suite
Productivity Software • Microsoft Office Starter Edition 2010
• PDF Complete Special Edition
Entertainment and Utility Software • HP Games
Security Software • Norton Internet Security 2011 (60-day security update subscription)
• Norton Online Backup (30-day trial)
Software Options
Software Category Options
Operating System Must select one of the following options:
• Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
• Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
• Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit)
Productivity Software Must select one of the following options:
• Microsoft Office Starter Edition 2010
• Microsoft Office Home & Student 2010
• Microsoft Office Professional 2010
• Microsoft Office Home & Business 2010
• Microsoft Office Home & Student 2010 + Adobe Acrobat X
• Microsoft Office Professional 2010 + Adobe Acrobat X
• Microsoft Office Home & Business 2010 + Adobe Acrobat X
Digital Media Software • Adobe Premier Elements 9.0
• Adobe Premier Elements 9.0 + Photoshop Elements 9.0
• CyberLink DVD Suite (upgrade to premium)
• muvee Reveal Premium version 8
• Roxio Creator 2011
Photography Software • Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.0
• Roxio Photo Suite Deluxe
• Corel Paint Shop Pro X3
• Corel Paint Shop Pro X3 + Corel Video Studio X3
Security Software Must select one of the following options:
• No additional security software
• Norton 360 version 5.0 (36 month subscription)
• Norton Internet Security 2011 (15 month subscription)
• Norton Internet Security 2011 (24 month subscription)
• Norton Internet Security 2011 (36 month subscription)
Popular, Useful & Fun Software • Adobe Acrobat X
• Britannica Children's Learning Suite 2010
• Britannica Desktop Encyclopedia 2011
• Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite 2011
• Britannica Visual Dictionary 2010
• Corel Office
• Corel Winzip Corel Bundle
• Dragon Naturally Speaking Home version 11
• PDF Converter Professional 7
• Professor Teaches Office 2010 and Win 7
• Quicken Legal Business Pro 2011
• Quicken Willmaker Plus 2011
• The PrintShop 2.0 Professional
• Roxio BackonTrack 4
Finance and Accounting Software • Quickbooks Pro 2011
• Quicken Deluxe 2011

The T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide is a speedy 4G, dual-core smartphone.

T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide – black

The T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide is a speedy 4G, dual-core smartphone.

The upcoming MyTouch 4G Slide surfaced over the weekend, providing a clear look at the T-Mobile handset. The phone, which carries the code name of Doubleshot, has been expected to arrive in July with a dual-core processor, a 3.7-inch display, and an 8-megapixel camera.

Of course, the 4G in the name also indicates support for T-Mobile's 4G HSPA+ network. According to TmoNews, the phone runs Gingerbread (Android 2.3) and feels slightly heavier in hand than its counterpart, the G2. What's more, the source has high marks for the four-row keyboard, calling it both "amazing" and "super fast." The Genius button makes its return on the MyTouch 4G, as does the customized version of HTC's Sense UI, features that made its predecessor, the myTouch 3G Slide, a good option for first-time smartphone buyers. The keyboard has been slightly tweaked with a dedicated button for "www" and ".com" and looks to be far less confusing than what was found on the 3G Slide.

Combining all of this with the rumored specifications, we could be looking at a double shot of performance and experience. With the right price, T-Mobile's myTouch 4G could be appealing on all fronts. T-Mobile has a long history of offering handsets that aren't focused on high-end hardware so much as how the phone works. Rather than attempting to lure hard-core Android enthusiasts with cutting-edge technology, the carrier usually caters to the user who might need a little hand-holding.

T-Mobile and HTC officially took the wraps off of the new myTouch 4G Slide on Tuesday, an Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) handset. As its name implies, the myTouch 4G Slide offers support for T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network. We recently sat down with HTC for a preview of the phone before its launch, and the manufacturer said it spent a great deal of time tweaking the camera software so that the myTouch 4G Slide would offer the best photo performance of any phone HTC has launched. It has improved low-light performance, should have zero shutter lag, and more. We also appreciated the solid design of the myTouch 4G Slide during our demo, and liked that the keyboard was comfortable and didn’t add too much bulk to the phone when it was stored away. The phone runs HTC’s brand new Sense interface on top of a dual-core 1.2Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, so everything was fluid and fast, too. The myTouch 4G Slide is equipped with a 3.7-inch WVGA display, 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, has support for SWYPE, has Netflix software pre-installed, and more. T-Mobile has not announced a price just yet, but the myTouch 4G Slide will be available in July in khaki and black.

At this point, it might not be a surprise but it is still nice to know that the rumored July 27th launch date for the T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide is now official. A web only pre-sale will begin July 19th from The phone, available in black and khaki, will have a price tag of $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a signed two-year contract.

The T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide has some pretty impressive specs, but the real excitement here is the camera, as we have shown you. HTC says there is zero shutter lag on the 8MP shooter which offers an f/2.2 aperture. Video can be captured at 1080p and panoramic and burst shots can be made. Besides the camera, the device has a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and a 3.7 inch WVGA display. On board is HTC Sense 3.0 on top of Android 2.3. Of course, there is a side sliding landscape-oriented QWERTY keyboard which explains the term "Slide" in the device's name.

Last month, T-Mobile officially announced the myTouch 4G Slide without availability and pricing. They have finally given us an update via their Facebook page:

“Mark your calendar: The T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide will be available July 27 at T-Mobile retail stores. A Web-only pre-sale at http://mytouch.t-mobile.com/4g​-slidewill kick off on July 19. Offered in two colors – black and khaki – the myTouch 4G Slide will cost $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and qualifying unlimited data plan after a $50 mail-in rebate.”

T-Mobile promises that the myTouch 4G Slide will have the most advanced camera of any smartphone. The full specs include:

• 3.7-inch touchscreen
• 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• Slide-out full QWERTY keyboard
• Sense 3.0
• Swype
• Android Gingerbread 2.3
• Qik mobile video chat.
• Genius button with Dragon Dictation from Nuance.
• Netflix.
• T-Mobile TV.
• YouTube
• T-Mobile KidZone

The Eizo FlexScan T2351W-L Monitor is the best of any other.

Eizo FlexScan T2351W-L Monitor

The Eizo FlexScan T2351W-L has a beautiful, glossy screen, accurate color reproduction, and impeccable build quality. Some unique OSD options and its multitouch touch-screen support further highlight the monitor.

As 23-inch monitors go, the Eizo FlexScan T2351W-L is fairly unique. It eschews the traditional foot stand in favor of an adjustable lever, it steers clear of even the smallest inkling of anti-glare coating, and its reinforced glass screen makes it a perfect candidate for the included multitouch touch-screen feature. Still, at the end of the day, it's a 23-inch monitor priced more than $1,000.

Eizo latest LCD Monitor officially announced several hours ago. This is the new model of the FlexScan series which has supported with Eizo’s new technology of infrared touchscreen panel that able to receive your fingers comment even though you wear a hand gloves.

This new multitouch LCD monitor is called the EIZO FlexScan T2351W-L, measures about 557 x 204.5~375.5 x 194~367 mm with 7.6kg of weigh (very heavy) and has a 23-inch widescreen with Paper Mode, a color and contrast setting, pinch-to-zoom and spin gestures and multitouch-enabled programs that supported by Windows 7 operating systems. And also compatible with D-Sub (15-pin), DVI-D (24-pin) and HDMI inputs.

Eizo will sent out the FlexScan T2351W-L multitouch LCD monitor around this October 15th with price target at $829 and its now already can be pre-ordered at Eizo online store. And get a free Laid Back Stand.

The Motorola XPRT (Sprint) is the best of any other.

Motorola XPRT (Sprint)

The Motorola XPRT has both a touch screen and a keyboard in an attractive and usable form factor. Features include enterprise-level security, mobile hot-spot capability, 3G speeds, and a dual-mode CDMA/GSM chipset for world roaming.

Months after it was announced for Verizon Wireless, Sprint has finally gotten its own version of the Motorola Droid Pro. Dubbed the Motorola XPRT, this candy bar handset houses the same enterprise-class security as the Droid Pro, and it also boasts international roaming. Other features include a 3.1-inch HVGA screen, a 1GHz processor, plus it ships with Android 2.2 with Adobe Flash 10 browser support.

Sprint unveiled another Android candy bar smartphone as well: the Motorola Titanium. The Titanium is a successor to the Motorola i1 from last year, except the Titanium now has a full physical QWERTY keyboard. It's an iDEN device that ships with Nextel Direct Connect, and it promises to be just as rugged with resistance against dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, and more. As intriguing as that might seem, however, the Titanium only ships with Android 2.1. The Motorola XPRT is available for $129.99 starting June 5; the Titanium's pricing and availability are yet to be announced.

 

the new Motorola XPRT on the Sprint network may look familiar and that’s because Verizon gained this Android device back in December 2010 with the handle the Motorola Droid Pro, and has only just come to Sprint, so we have a video review of the Sprint Motorola XPRT for your viewing consideration below.

The Motorola XPRT for Sprint video review comes our way courtesy of the guys over at Daily Mobile and by way of the Mobile Techreview YouTube page, and delivers just over eleven minutes of reacquainting us with the Android 2.2 Froyo handset.

The Motorola XPRT is a candy-bar handset with a portrait QWERTY keyboard, 3.1-inch capacitive touch screen, 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with flash, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, 1GHz processor, MotoBlur, and SIM card holder for GSM roaming overseas.

So I’ll leave it right there so you can head on down to hit that play button and check out the review of the Motorola XPRT for Sprint, and see if you feel the Android smartphone is worth snapping up from Sprint or not in your opinion…enjoy.

Sprint has announced a pair of Android smartphones that mean business only as the Motorola XPRT and Motorola Titanium are packed with more productivity and security tools rather than social networking apps.

Starting with the Motorola XPRT (pictured above), this Android 2.2-based handheld would be ideal for anyone requiring enterprise-class security and 256-bit AES data encryption. So that would include professionals in healthcare, retail, field sales and similar industries. An additional helpful security feature is that IT departments can remotely lock the device, recover the password and even wipe the data clear if the device or the included 2GB microSD card (or expandable up to 32GB) is lost and/or stolen.

The XPRT also an option for businesspeople who travel internationally often as this handheld supports both CDMA (EVDO Rev. A) and GSM/UMTS (HSPA). Additional nitty gritty details include the 3.1-inch HVGA touch screen, 1GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera/camcorder with dual LED flash, Adobe Flash 10 support, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi, and corporate/personal email. The XPRT also doubles as a 3G mobile hotspot that can provide connectivity for up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices.

Moving on to the Motorola Titanium (pictured right), this is a rugged smartphone in case you couldn’t tell by the name. The Titanium shares quite a few of the same specs as the XPRT, including corporate/personal email support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, an included 2GB microSD card, a 5-megapixel camera/camcorder, and a full QWERTY keyboard.

However, the Titanium runs on Android 2.1 (although Sprint boasts that this device is the company’s first Nextel Direct Connect smartphone with Eclair). To make up for this, the Titanium is ready for nearly any situation with Military Specification 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, high temperature and low temperature.

The Motorola XPRT will be available first when it is launched on Sunday, June 5 for $129.99 with the signing of a two-year service agreement. However, Sprint won’t be announcing pricing and availability details for Motorola Titanium until “a later date.”