Viewsonic intros 24-inch LCD with built-in 3D emitter

At the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, ViewSonic introduced a 24-inch, 3D LCD display, the ViewSonic V3D245wm-LED. ViewSonic claims it is the first 24-inch smart monitor with an integrated 3D emitter. The V3D245wm-LED has full 1080p HD playback at 120 MHz refresh rate. The monitor includes integrated SRS Premium surround sound speakers and one HDMI 1.4 input. ViewSonic claims it has a dynamic contrast ratio of 20,000,000:1 and a peak response time of 2ms.

One pair of active shutter 3D glasses is included.

The company mentioned the V3D245wm-LED in a press release prior to the 2011 CES show in January, but the unit was not displayed there. ViewSonic says the V3D245wm-LED will be available in the third quarter of 2011. Pricing for the North American market was not released.

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Viewsonic intros two new ViewPad tablets

Viewsonic has introduced two new tablets at Computex 2011. The Viewsonic ViewPad 10Pro will arrive with Windows 7 and Intel’s Oak Trail platform. The 10Pro will also have Android capability and is aimed at enterprise. The Viewsonic ViewPad 7x will be powered by a combination of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 platform and is aimed at the consumer segment.

The Viewsonic ViewPad 10Pro will be powered by Intel’s Atom Z760 1.5GHz processor paired with 1GB of RAM. It will ship with Windows 7 Professional and is capable of launching Android 2.2, but in virtualization mode only. This may limit the potential for the device to run Android apps smoothly, but it will make it useful for quick launching a web browser for example.

The ViewPad 10Pro also incorporates both 3G and Wi-Fi 802.11n. Its 32GB of RAM is expandable by microSD, as well as through USB. Its 3500mAh battery is rated for 4.5 hours of use when playing 1080p video showing marked power consumption improvements over the previous generation of Atom chips. It will run for up to 6 hours for lighter duties.

The Viewsonic ViewPad 7x’s 1024x600 7-inch LED display supports up to 10-point multi-touch input. It also packs an HSPA+ radio for 3.5G speeds and supports DLNA media sharing and SRW TruMedia. It weighs 380g and incorporates front and back cameras and is capable of video conferencing. When it ships, it will arrive with Android 3.0.1 (Honeycomb).

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Dell intros XPS 15z early, makes doubtful 'thinnest' claim

Dell skipped formal announcements and gave Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan sales of the XPS 15z. The design is supposedly the thinnest 15-inch notebook in the world at 0.97 inches and is also light, at 5.5 pounds. Its design is less conspicuously based on the MacBook Pro with a black palmrest but still has numerous similarities, down to the five-dot battery life indicator, grilles, and backlit keyboard.

The 15z makes tradeoffs in performance for extras. Processor choices are limited to dual Core i5 and i7 processors instead of the quad i7s of the inspiration. Every model makes up for it with a 1080p, 300-nit screen as well as a 750GB, 7,200RPM hard drive and 2GB GeForce GT 525M video.

Because of the slower processors, prices in Australia start at $1,399 AUD ($1,470 US) for a 2.3GHz Core i5 and 6GB of RAM. A second $1,699 AUD ($1,786 US) mode upgrades to a 2.7GHz Core i7 and 8GB of RAM. European and North American releases are expected as each country crosses over into the morning for their respective time zones.

The claim to having the thinnest 15-inch notebook, while not a major factor, is unusual in that it has already been discredited by Apple, the XPS 15z's main goal. All unibody MacBook Pros from October 2008 onward measure about 0.95 inches thick and, if using the same measurement, would have beaten the new XPS design two and a half years ago.

Update: As expected, American pricing starts at $999 for the same hardware.

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Nissho intros 52-inch, glasses-free 3D TV in Japan

A relatively unknown company, Japan's Nissho Electronics, has just announced it will soon launch a 52-inch HDTV with a Dimenco Display glasses-free 3D screen. That screen also has the ability to convert 2D content to 3D in real time. The stereoscopic video coding 3D format used is called 2D-plus-Depth, or 2D+Z.

The BDL5231-3D2R's specs are modest compared to modern 2D sets and include a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, an 8ms pixel response time, a 60Hz refresh, and 700 nits of brightness. The set will not be coming to consumers, however, as it will be only sold to businesses. It's priced at the equivalent of $20,800 (1.7 million yen). US availability hasn't been confirmed.

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Pantech intros dual-core 1.5GHz Vega Racer, plans tablet

Pantech has unveiled a new flagship smartphone that could give it a rare speed edge in the smartphone world. The Vega Racer should be the first to use Qualcomm's dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon MSM8660 and outpace even 1.2GHz dual-core phones like the HTC Evo 3D. The chip's inherently much faster Adreno 220 graphics could give it an edge in visuals not normally associated with Snapdragon chips.

The Vega Racer should be a high-end phone apart from the processor, centering on a 4.3-inch, 480x800 screen. Pantech is promising 1GB of RAM as well as a rear eight-megapixel camera and a front 1.3-megapixel camera. In spite of being just 0.35 inches thick, it will have a 1,650mAh battery that should give it a long life.

Pantech is giving the phone a customized version of Android with an iPhone-like fixed set of bottom icons.

Shipments start later this month for Korea, where it will appear before the end of May on SK-Telecom's Sky badge. A US launch if it comes hasn't been mentioned so far. The company has teased that it's working on a tablet and progress is in "full swing" for an arrival sometime in the future.

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HP intros HPE h8, p7, Slimline s5 desktops with new design

HP helped wrap up a week's worth of introductions by rolling out three new Pavilion desktops. The more gamer-oriented HPE h8, mainstream p7, and Slimline s5 all get redesigned looks, carrying a much cleaner and minimalist look that HP suggests would work as much for a home theater as a desk. All have accordingly moved to the most recent processors, topping out with AMD Phenom II and Intel Core i7 chips in the h8.

Some get the option of Beats Audio processing, and all have access to a newer LinkUp feature. The trick gives users a relatively simple way to get at the apps and media from a paired notebook without requiring some of the usual steps.

The h8 like its predecessor has picks of dedicated graphics from AMD or NVIDIA, with some of the video cards supporting up to three screens. The s5 despite being half the size is seen as an in-between PC upgradable to large hard drives and either AMD or Intel processors, and the p7 seves as the starting point with basic AMD and Intel chips as well as integrated-only video.

Prices start out at as little as $299 for the p7 and move up to $329 and $599 for the Slimline s5 and HPE h8. Buyers can order the h8 and p7 on May 18 but will have to wait three weeks to get the s5 on June 15.

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HP intros ultra-thin Elite L2201x display, prepaid 3G data

HP finished off its introductions Monday with a new, atypically luxury LCD and an alternative approach to 3G data on a notebook in the US. The 21.5-inch Elite L2201x breaks from most design and moves the power supply outside to slim the screen down to 0.4 inches thick and save space on the desk with an easel-like shape. Its metal finish makes it a fit for the new EliteBooks and Macs, and its only video input is DisplayPort.

The LCD panel is a moderately accurate MVA that provides a balance between quality and price. HP quotes a 5,000:1 contrast ratio and 250 nits of brightness on the 1080p display. As a consequence of the screen choice, HP has kept the price down to $249 on the L2201x, which ships June 1.

Also new is an attempt to spur usually slow adoption of cellular Internet access on notebooks. DataPass provides Sprint 3G data for rates depending not just on the bandwidth but the time. A short-hop traveler can pay just $5 for 75MB of data over five hours. Paying $10 doubles the bandwidth to 150MB and makes it last for three days, while $20 affords 450MB for two weeks. A $30 outlay gives a more industry-like 1GB for a full month.

So far, the new service is limited to HP notebooks using Qualcomm's Gobi un2400 universal modem. HP hasn't said if DataPass will reach other models, but it's not expected to allow DataPass for rival computer builders.

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Sony intros external flash for Alpha cameras

Sony has introduced an external flash unit, the HVL-F43AM, and several other accessories designed for the company's range of Alpha DSLRs. The flash accessory features GN43 output at 105mm/100 ISO and a "quick shift bounce" system, which enables users to maintain the flash head position while quickly switching between horizontal and vertical orientation. Wireless controls provide further options for managing light ratios across three separate units without additional equipment.

Users can set power levels in 22 increments, ranging from 1/1 through 1/128 level, while the highest output power requires a 2.9-second recycle time. The water- and dust-resistance housing integrates an LCD screen and direction buttons for output control.

Aside from the flash unit, Alpha owners can also obtain a new mounting bracket for multiple cold-shoe accessories, a soft carrying case, and lens hood for the DT 35mm F1.8 SAM and 85mm F2.8 SAM lenses. The flash unit will be available for $350, while the bracket, case and lens hood are priced at $50, $50 and $20, respectively.

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