Lenovo to put Android on Skylight, U1 Hybrid, both delayed

Lenovo has reportedly delayed its Skylight smartbook and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, which were originally due in April. This marks the second setback and the company hasn't revealed when either product will ship, but they're definitely still coming. Last month, the PC maker delayed its smartbook to improve its working performance, supposedly in the interest of competing against Apple's iPad.

In a recent comment to Laptop Mag, the company said that after "careful consideration of market conditions and user feedback," it has decided to focus on building a family mobile Internet devices based on Android. Because of that "strategic shift towards open standards," Lenovo has scrapped plans to launch the Skylight and U1 with a proprietary Linux OS.

The Skylight features a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU, 20GB of removable flash storage along with 2GB of cloud storage, Wi-Fi and 3G, a "full size" keyboard, and a 10-hour battery life. Meanwhile, the 11.6-inch U1 Hybrid has a detachable Snapdragon-based slate that can run independent of its Intel-powered clamshell, which has a hardware keyboard and the usual notebook connectivity.

Opera Mini downloaded 2.6 million times from App Store

Opera's mobile Web browser was cleared for the iPod and iPhone early last month and it has already become a top platform for Opera Mini. The Norwegian software company said in its State of the Mobile Web Report that a million App Store customers downloaded the alternative browser in the first day alone, and soared to more than 2.6 million by the end of April.

Opera Mini's user base reached 58.9 million, up 6.6% from the month prior and over 152% year-over-year. Page views climbed to 26.3 billion, up 1.6% sequentially and 203% on-year. That response made the iPhone the most popular Opera device in the US, passing BlackBerry phones, and fifth in the UK.

It also pushed the United States to sixth (from eighth) in the top 10 countries by usage, and the iPhone became the third most popular handset in the world to use Opera Mini, behind the Nokia 5130 XpressMusic and Nokia 6300. The remaining devices on the list (fourth through tenth) are all Nokias.

MS to sell 30 million Windows Phone 7 handsets by 2011?

Say what you will about Microsoft's previous mobile efforts, but there's no denying the company is firing on all thrusters with Windows Phone 7. During a presentation at ReMIX in France, Redmond cited IDC data suggesting it will ship 30 million WP7 handsets by the end of 2011. For comparison, the company only shipped 3.7 million Windows Mobile phones last winter, according to Gartner.

Microsoft plans to meet that ambitious goal by riding the mounting wave of people adopting smartphones. It's expected that 40% of the handsets sold next year will be smartphones, which compares to an estimated 14% this year. Of course, Microsoft's competitors undoubtedly have the same intentions.

Android phones are gaining serious traction and Apple has managed to carve out a healthy chunk of the mobile arena since the launch of its iPhone in 2007, shipping upwards of 50 million units. With a new model due next month and the potential arrival of CDMA iterations, the iPhone isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Next-gen Apple TV to cost $99, run iPhone OS 4.0

Apple is reportedly readying some big changes for its "hobby" set-top box project. According to sources "very close" to the company talking to Engadget, the next generation Apple TV will shift focus from local to cloud-based storage, while building on Apple's strengths as a mobile device company. The new hardware was described as an iPhone without a screen," as it is based on the same A4 processor as the upcoming model with only 16GB of storage and running iPhone OS 4.0.

It isn't clear whether or not the new Apple TV will be compatible with software from the App Store, though it makes sense considering the shared platform. The device is said to be quite small, with ports for the power and video out only, and will be capable of up to 1080p HD streaming over the web or from other computers in your network. Also, the projected price being tossed around is just $99, which is uncharacteristically cheap for an Apple product.

Currently, the Apple TV costs $229 and comes with 160GB of storage. The rumored low price for its successor might finally get people interested in Apple's set-top box. It remains to be seen if the company will change its content strategy and finally open the device to support video and audio from sources other than YouTube and the iTunes store. With Google readying its own TV platform competition could get very interesting in this market.

Intel unveils Core i7 875K, i5 655K unlocked processors

Intel is announcing two new mainstream processor offerings today as part of their Core i-series lineup, and is targeting them squarely at overclocking enthusiasts. The new Core i5 655K and Core i7 875K are identical to the 3.2GHz Core i5 650 and 2.93GHz Core i7 870 in terms of basic specifications. However, the 'K' suffix denotes an unlocked CPU multiplier, giving users finer control over their processor frequencies without tweaking other components.

The quad-core i7 875K is based on Intel's 45nm Lynnfield core. It works at 2.93GHz, can process eight simultaneous threads with Hyper-Threading, features 8MB of L3 cache and has a 95W TDP. Meanwhile, the Core i5 655K is based on Intel's 32nm Clarkdale core with integrated graphics. The dual-core processor can handle four simultaneous threads using Hyper-Threading, it has 4MB of Level 3 cache and a TDP of 73W. As well as the unlocked multiplier, both chips still feature Intel's Turbo Boost technology, which automatically adjusts core frequency based on the CPU's workload.

In terms of pricing, the unlocked Core i5 655K will command a $40 price premium over the locked i5 650, while the Core i7 875K, at $349, is actually almost $240 cheaper than the locked Core i7 870. The new K-series models will officially launch at Computex next week, but there's a bunch of coverage floating around already.

Antec Dark Fleet chassis line to ship next month

Antec is preparing to unleash the Dark Fleet chassis series, which consists of four members: the DF-10, DF-30, and DF-35 mid-towers, as well as the DF-85 full tower. Targeting enthusiasts, the quartet is roomy enough for the latest jumbo-sized graphics cards and multi-CPU motherboards, while its gusty "TwoCool" fans supposedly discard heat like nobody's business.

The enclosures also feature two "Antec-exclusive innovations" called Fleet-Release and Fleet-Swap. Fleet-Release is a front panel system with variable-speed LED fans, fan controls and filters in a single modular package that clicks into place. This gives quick and easy access fans, filters, and Fleet-Swap, which is a set of hot-swappable SATA drive bays.

25TB titanium oxide 'super discs' in the works

Japanese researchers have discovered a material that could be used to make low-cost discs with a storage capacity that puts existing storage media to shame. Described as a new crystal form of titanium oxide, the material switches from a black-color metal state that conducts electricity to a brown semiconductor when exposed to light, according to Shin-ichi Ohkoshi of the University of Tokyo. That transformation occurs at room temperature and provides an on-off function for data storage.

Ohkoshi says the material is promising for next-generation optical storage, and his team has successfully created the material in particles measuring 5-to-20nm, the AFP reports. It's said that the new disc could hold over 1,000 times more data than a Blu-ray disc – or upwards of 25TB. Furthermore, titanium oxide is substantially cheaper than the rare element germanium-antimony-tellurium, which is used in Blu-ray discs and DVDs, and it's already used in products ranging from face powder to white paint.

There's no telling when such discs will hit the market, but Ohkoshi will start talks with private-sector companies for "commercialization."

Microsoft to ship Project Natal October 26 for $149

A "trusted source" has informed Edge-Online that Microsoft will ship its Xbox 360 motion controller worldwide around late October, and it will supposedly cost more than expected. Based on current exchange rates, Edge reports that the standalone controller will retail for £103/€121/$149, while a console and Project Natal bundle will be £207/€243/$299.

That conflicts with previous talk of Project Natal launching for $80, and if true, it would make Microsoft's peripheral far more expensive than Sony's PlayStation Move, which is expected to be bundled with a PS3 game for less than $100.

The source also said that Microsoft plans to ditch the name "Project Natal" for something a bit more market-friendly. The controller's commercial name should be revealed next month during its world premiere on June 13.

Samsung ships P80, P30, NB30 business notebooks

Samsung recently introduced new business-class notebooks, but the company excluded details on pricing and a release window. Those particulars have now been clarified. The P80 series kicks off in "late May" (now) for $999 and is comprised of two models: the 14-inch P480 and 15.6-inch P580. Samsung is also shipping its 14-inch P430 and 15.6-inch P530 P30 Essential notebooks for $849, and its NB30 Pro netbook for $519.

The P80 Premium range is equipped with a 1366x768 display, an Intel Core i5-430M processor, up to 4GB of RAM, a 320GB 5400RPM HDD, a 0.3MP webcam, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n, four USB 2.0 ports, Windows 7 Professional, and over four hours of runtime.

The P30 Essential line and NB30 stick close to that formula. The former offers an i3-330M, 250GB of storage, 10/100 Ethernet, and a tad more battery life, while the latter packs a 10.1-inch 1024x600 display, an Intel Atom N450 and GMA3150, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 160GB HDD.

Yahoo Mail gets more Facebook features

If you haven't kicked your Facebook habit to the curb amid the recent privacy concerns, Yahoo has some good news for you. Starting Monday night, the company began adding new Facebook features to Yahoo Mail. Those who have received the update should be able to see and respond to updates from Facebook's news feed directly from Yahoo's email platform. You should also be able to reply to a Facebook email without going to the site.

These additions come as Yahoo, Google and others attempt to keep up with the bolstering social network scene. Last year, Yahoo rolled out a feature that funneled updates from popular social sites like Twitter and Flickr into Yahoo Mail. Google recently followed suit with Buzz, a service that lets users share status updates, photos, videos, and RSS information, in addition to integrating with external sites like Twitter, Flickr, and Picasa.

Neither service has been a hit, but Yahoo is determined to find its role in the social craze. Rather than constructing its own core infrastructure, the company plans to rely on partnerships to aggregate content. In a related move, the company has teamed up with Match.com and will ditch its own service, Yahoo Personals. This follows its decision to drop HotJobs, GeoCities and other services conflicting with the company's core focus: email, search, and its homepage.

For the last three years or so Intel had been working on an x86-derived graphics chip, dubbed Larrabee, that would supposedly shake up the discrete GPU market. After holding several demos, which unfortunately were far from being competitive, plans to market a consumer version of Larrabee were indefinitely put on hold last December, opting instead to release it as a software development platform for both graphic and high performance computing.

Stories posted since then have hinted at a comeback, but in a posting on the company's Technology@Intel blog yesterday, director of global communications Bill Kircos confirmed that Larrabee as a discrete graphics product for consumers is indeed dead -- "at least in the short-term." (Yes, he couldn't resist adding a bit of ambiguity). Intel said it plans to derive a business from Larrabee, however, using its multi-core GPU technology in the high performance computing market to process parallel code more efficiently -- much like Nvidia does with its CUDA programming model.

As far as consumer graphics are concerned, the company will continue pushing its integrated solutions for desktops, laptops and low-power handheld devices such as smartphones. Intel believes HD video and mobile computing are the most important areas to focus on moving forward when it comes to its graphics business.

Lenovo ships 'world's thinnest all-in-one PC' in US

Lenovo has begun shipping its ultra-slim IdeaCentre A300 all-in-one desktop computer to the US. Claiming to be the world's thinnest AIO, the A300's 21.5-inch 1080p LED display measures only 18.5mm thick, and the complete dimensions are 524 x 396 x 207mm (20.6 x 15.5 x 8.14 inches). As you can probably tell by the picture, the panel's trim profile is accomplished by using machine's inner-workings as a base instead of stashing them behind the screen.

The IdeaCentre A300 is available a few configurations, all of which are Intel-based. A $799 setup gets you a 2.20GHz Pentium Dual Core T4400, GMA X4500 graphics, 2GB of DDR3 1066MHz RAM, and a 320GB hard drive. The remaining models cost $949 to $999 and have a 2.20GHz Core 2 Duo T6600, 4GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, and a TV tuner. Along with a built-in webcam, the system ships with a Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse, HDMI-output, an 8-in-1 card reader, and Windows 7 Home Premium x64.

Chrome 5 stable released for Windows, Mac, Linux

Google has released Chrome 5, bringing new features and marking the first stable build for Mac and Linux. The latest version is available for Windows too, of course. Among the new features is the ability to synchronize browser preferences, such as themes, homepage and startup settings, web content settings, preferred languages, and even page zoom settings across multiple computers. This is in addition to syncing bookmarks, which was introduced in version 4.0 earlier this year.

Extensions now work in incognito mode via the extensions manager, the bookmark manager has been tweaked, and Chrome 5 incorporates HTML5 features, such as Geolocation APIs, App Cache, web sockets, as well as file drag-and-drop. If you want to experience some of what HTML5 brings to the table, Google says you can drag and drop attachments in Gmail or enable the geolocation functionality in Google Maps.

Although Flash Player integration didn't make it into this build, it should come along with the full release of Flash 10.1, which isn't far off. If Chrome hasn't automatically updated yet, you can manually install version 5 by clicking the tools menu (looks like a wrench), then About Google Chrome.

After a press conference revealing few details at CES in January, and months of teasing through sporadic leaks to gadget blogs, Dell has officially announced launch plans and specs for its upcoming Android-based 'tablet' device. Formerly known as the Mini 5, the Dell Streak could very well be classified as a handheld with its 5-inch display. It has an ARM-based Snapdragon chipset and 1GHz processor, 2GB of storage (expandable to 32GB with a MicroSD card), a 5-megapixel camera, a front-facing camera, removable battery, and Wi-Fi, 3G, and Bluetooth connectivity.

At launch, the Streak will be running Android 1.6 (Donut), but it will receive an upgrade to the new Flash-capable Android 2.2 (Froyo) later this year. Dell's tablet offers support for voice and video calls, boast integrated Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation, and will come bundled with a number of social apps like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Pricing remains a mystery for now. The company said the Dell Streak will go on sale in the U.K. early next month through O2, and in the U.S. later this summer -- no 3G service partner was mentioned for this side of the Atlantic.

Intel unveils new Ultra Low Voltage processor range

Intel is expanding its processor family today with a new range of ULV (Ultra-Low Voltage) chips featuring the same 32nm design as their normal voltage siblings. The new parts are targeted at 10-13" thin-and-light notebooks, and according to Intel, they bring a 15% reduction in power consumption while still offering features like Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost.

Despite its smaller size and lower power consumption, the new chips promise up to 32% better performance than the current generation of ultra-low voltage processors. At the bottom of the line, there will be a 1GHz Celeron U3400 and 1.2GHz Pentium U5400. Both have a total power draw of only 17 watts, and that's including the Intel GMA HD graphics chip which is built onto the same package as the CPU. Intel is also expected to launch new ULV Core i-series chips, including the 1.2GHz Core i3 330UM, i5 430UM and i5 540UM, as well as the 1.33GHz i7 660UM.

The company says that more than 40 designs are expected from computer makers such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo and MSI, and will be offered at a variety of price points beginning in June.

Seagate unwraps Momentus XT HDD, SSD hybrid

Confirming last week's speculation, Seagate has unveiled a hybrid mechanical and solid-state drive, uniting the best of both realms: speed and affordability. The 2.5-inch Momentus XT is available in 250GB, 320GB and 500GB capacities, and has 4GB of SLC NAND flash memory onboard. The drive features what Seagate calls "Adaptive Memory," which automatically moves frequently accessed data to the flash memory, thus allowing the Momentus XT to outpace standard platter drives.

Although Seagate's new drive isn't quite as fast as most SSDs, it's unfair to expect such performance. Rather than see the Momentus XT as a slow SSD, it makes more sense to view it as a fast HDD – and fast it is. In AnandTech's testing, the drive performed like a quieter, less power-hungry VelociRaptor (Western Digital's 10,000RPM units). Momentus XT drives are up for preorder via Amazon for $107, $115, and $137 – a bit more than mechanical notebook drives sans flash.

Ubisoft could follow EA's used games fee model

Ubisoft may soon take a page from EA's book and start monetizing used games by charging extra to unlock functionality or content that would otherwise be available with new games. In a post-earnings conference call today, the company's CFO Alain Martinez answered an analyst's question on this issue, saying, "we are looking very carefully at what EA is doing regarding what we call 'the $10 solution,' and we will probably follow that line sometime in the future."

In case you are not aware of EA's recent integration, they have begun bundling a one-use only "Online Pass" with their sports titles that will be required to enjoy the game over Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network. These passes are included for free with new copies of games, but second hand buyers will have to purchase another pass for $10.

Whether such as system is warranted has been a topic of debate -- it helps publishers recoup the lack of revenue from used games sales and also fight piracy. We wouldn't be surprised to see others like Ubisoft following suit, but it surely won't sit well with the millions of people who rent, trade and purchase used games. After Martinez's comment, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot weighed in by saying that the system was already in place since last year, and so far it has been used only to offer additional content to customers buying their games in specific stores.

Mozilla Weave gets re-branded as Firefox Sync

Mozilla's browser sync tool, Weave, is getting another update this week along with a re-brand meant to help less in-the-know Firefox users understand what the software does. Starting with version 1.3b5 and going forward, Weave will be known as Firefox Sync as Mozilla prepares to start publicizing this little known tool for daily usage. Basically what it does is keep your bookmarks, history, passwords, open tabs and other Firefox data in sync across computers.

Besides the name change, Firefox Sync 1.3b5 features a new user interface, better response times during syncing, new production server clusters built to handle larger loads, Fennec (Firefox Mobile) support, and a backup feature for your bookmarks before the first sync so you can 'undo' any modifications in the event of an accidental overwrite. The full list of changes can be found on the official release notes.

You can you can grab Firefox Sync 1.3b5 on this page by clicking on the Experimental version link next to the download button -- or just the stable version, Weave Sync 1.2, by clicking on the download button. The feature is currently available as an extension, but there are future plans to integrate Sync 2.0 into Firefox 4.0.