If you love the iPad 2’s slick touchscreen, but can’t yet let go of your trusty keyboard – the (reasonable) question will arise as to why you don’t just use a notebook. Luckily, this Bluetooth keyboard by Logitech also doubles up as a sleek case.

The Logitech Keyboard Case for the iPad 2 does exactly what it promises, offering a highly portable Bluetooth keyboard for use with an iPad; however, it’s a better keyboard than it is a case.

We’ve wondered many times whether a good keyboard case could be the missing link that would make an ultraportable iPad an excellent tool for writing on the go.

The aircraft-grade aluminium case is sufficiently padded to help protect your iPad from any drops while the embedded keyboard charges via USB which means no pesky batteries. Simply slot the tablet in using either orientation and you’re set to go.

Unlike some cases we’ve tried before, the keyboard employed here is an honest-to-goodness “real” keyboard: the keys depress fully and feel physical, with no strange rubberized or flattened feel to them. The aluminum frame is the same width and length as an iPad 2, so when you’re done typing, you can fold the iPad into it screen-down for travel.

The Logitech Keyboard Case works better as a keyboard than as a case, it won’t do much to protect the back of your iPad, but the soft padding inside will keep your screen protected and scratch-free. A folding hinge supports viewing in both portrait and landscape mode, and the embedded Bluetooth keyboard recharges via USB. We’re not sure about the protective qualities of this slim ‘case,’ but having the keyboard fully integrated makes typing lengthy emails or documents that much easier.

The Kensington Ci95m Wireless Notebook Mouse is an upgrade to the Ci75m Wireless Mouse by Kensington, a well known manufacturer of accessories and pen drives.

It is slimmed down “plug-and-stay” RF receiver modules that can be left in a USB slot (in most instances) when the computer is carried in a sleeve, case, or backpack., good for those who just want a wireless mouse to point and click.

The Kensington Ci95m Wireless has a very nice design, sitting less than an inch high, the mouse fits comfortably in the hand, and the side and back rubberized grips make it feel secure.

In appearance, the Ci95m closely resembles Kensington’s older model Ci75m mouse, but is a bit heavier, since it uses AA batteries rather than the older unit’s smaller AAA cells.

The Ci95m shows little innovation when it comes to its three buttons, using only the standard left- and right-click and scroll wheel. Clicking the scroll wheel reveals the Exposé features, which is nice, but not awe-inspiring.

It’s compatible with both PC and Mac computers outfitted with a USB port, allowing you the versatility on whichever platform you use.

Kensington Ci95m Specifications:
•  Dimensions: 4.2 x 2.4 x 1.0 inches
•  Weight: 100 grams
•  Battery: up to 6 months
•  2.4 GHz wireless
•  PC and Mac compatible
•  Plug and Play

Overall, this mouse has a high standard of finish, the feel of quality materials and workmanship.

Dell’s got a new notebook computer on the market: the Inspiron R. The next iteration on Dell’s Inspiron series of notebook PCs, the Inspiron 14R, 15R and 17R appeared in stores.

There are three screen sizes available these are 14-inch, 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch models. It feature a chiclet keyboard, 2nd generation Core processors, up to 8GB of RAM, discrete graphics (an AMD Radeon HD 6000M series card for the 14R, a GeForce 500M card for the 15R and 17R), a HD webcam, support for Intel Wireless Display technology, SRS Premium Audio, a 6- or 9-cell battery, and come with switchable lids, the default one being black.

It’s got a chiclet style keyboard (Dell uses it on most of their laptop PCS).

The casing’s got a glossy sheen to it.

The details of the dell inspiron R

While other, more colorful models being available from the Dell Design Studio for.

The Motorola XT800 is an Android smartphone with a 3.7-inch touchscreen display and probably Android version 2.1 as Operating System.

The overall design of the mobile is quite attractive with handy dimension of 120×61.8×11.4mm and weight around 137gms. Its smooth curvy body gives stunning look and offers fine grip as well.

It is expected that the digital camera has a 5 Megapixel image sensor with which a fine photo can be captured.

The top of the Motorala XT800

The right side`s photographed keys and HDMI interface

The HDMI interface

The sound volume keys and Miro USB interface

The back of the Motorola XT800

It’s a 2G quad-band mobile phone that supports GSM (850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900MHz) and CDMA (800/ 1900MHz) network along with also works on 3G CDMA2000 1xEV-DO network offering you wide and clear network coverage. Motorola XT800 also boosts-up the overall performance and operational speed of the mobile.

The Motorola XT800 and the bluetooth headset

you can read the related articles:

http://blog.etech.com/2010/04/08/motorola-xt800-disassembly/

http://blog.etech.com/2010/03/09/motorola-xt800-review/

The remarkable performance of Apple iPhone 4 has become the twice-told story, and the best mobile award of MWC 2011 for iPhone 4 is its true reflection. However, the antenna issue and the glass back have been the inevasible problems of Apple iPhone 4. But recently, the rumor says that Apple iPhone 5 overcomes these two deficiencies.

According to reports, the back of Apple iPhone 5 is very likely different from the glass material of Apple iPhone 4, which is too heavy and easy to break and scratch. Instead, Apple iPhone 5 may inherit the previous iPhone’s aluminium back, similar to the back of the iPod touch. Meanwhile, Apple iPhone 5’s antenna is behind the Apple logo on the back，which may resolve the signal problem. Moreover, Apple iPhone 5 is also rumored to be powered by the same dual-core A5 processor as Apple iPad 2.

As the most important new smart mobile devices, Apple iPad 2 has been officially announced. So Apple iPhone 5 will become the most attractive Product in the second half of 2011. Apple iPhone 5 is possible to due out in late June or early July according to Apple’s general release tradition.

You can also read:

White Apple iPhone 4 Coming Soon

Cool Apple iPhone Cases

The Differences between Verizon iPhone 4 and AT&T iPhone 4

Sony Ericsson was rumored of working on the Windows Phone 7 cell phones four months ago. Recently, three pictures of Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 cell phone are leaked. Although the pictures are dim, and the Windows Phone 7 OS on the Sony Ericsson cell phone seems to be in the early stages of development, it still deserves the attention of Sony Ericsson Fans.

Rumored Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 Cell phone

Leaked Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 Cell Phone

This Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 cell phone comes with a slide-out island-style QWERTY keyboard and about 4.3-inch touch screen. The cell phone is very slim, while the three buttons under the screen also indicate the Windows Phone 7 OS is use in the cell phone. The words of “Prototype Not for Sale” are shown in the bottom of Sony Ericsson Windows phone 7 cell phone, and the interface of the screen stays at the homepage. No model number and more information are available then.

Previously leaked Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 cell phone specs

But as previously leaked rumors said, this Windows Phone 7 based cell phone may be the Sony Ericsson Xperia X7 of Sony Ericsson’s Xpreia family. Sony Ericsson Xperia X7 was rumored to come with 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 8.1 megapixel camera and HDMI port with Dolby digital surround sound.

If this leaked cell phone is really Sony Ericsson Xperia X7-the first Window Phone 7 cell phone from Sony Ericsson, there should be more information later. But then again, if Sony Ericsson will really launch this Windows Phone 7 cell phone in the second half of 2011, the cell phone is powered by the customized Windows Phone 7 OS under many restrictions, what’s the attraction to consumers?

You can also read:

New Sony Ericsson Xperia Cell Phones Revealed
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc Review

Apple finally revealed the long-awaited iPad 2. Apple iPad 2 is thinner and lighter than previous iPad as rumored, and there is also white version for choice. Although the screen size and resolution stay the same (9.7-inch, 1024 x 768), but the powerful dual-core Apple A5 processor makes iPad 2 runs smoother than previous iPad. Apple iPad 2 also comes with the dual cameras as well as the newly updated iOS 4.3. Apple iPad 2 will come to the US on Mar 11 starting at $499, to 26 global countries on Mar 26.

Now, let’s get close to the new magic features of Apple iPad 2 in detail.

Apple iPad 2 Becomes Thinner and Lighter

LED-backlit screen of Apple iPad 2 enables to show vivid and bright images. Besides, Apple iPad 2 uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology which allows the screen to adjusts the luminance automatically according to the light condition. The screen of Apple iPad 2 has a wide, 178°  viewing angle. So enjoy the brilliant view with your friends anywhere on Apple iPad 2.

Apple iPad 2 is available for two colors: white and black. The white version is more attractive for female users, which is more stylish and goes form previous serious style.

The graphics processing function of Apple iPad 2 is 9 times faster than before. Either for the HD video or 3D game, the multimedia performance has been significantly improved.  While the HDMI port of Apple iPad 2 allows users to have mirrored video output of up to 1080P resolution on the TVs. In addition, Apple iPad iOS 4.3 comes with an optimized AirPlay function which lets users access built-in slideshow function.

You can also read:

Apple iPad 3G Review

Apple iPad 3G Disassembly

Apple iPad Appearance Review

Apple iPad Disassembly

Apple iPad 2 Rumored Features

New Apple MacBook Pro 2011 has been released with powerful processor update and amazing Thunderbolt port. Today we will have a look at the inside structure of new Apple MacBook Pro laptop.

15-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2011 features  a brand new port-Thunderbolt, which has integrated PCI Express and DisplayPort to the same single port. Thunderbolt supports as high as 10 Gbps transfer speed for both input and output. The data channel of PCI Express and DisplayPort are mutually exclusive to avoid the screen competing with the external hard drive for bandwidth .

Up to 6 Thunderbolt devices can be chained up to the Apple MacBook Pro. This limitation affects little, because the number of Thunderbolt compatible devices on the market even doesn’t reach 6. On the contrary, FireWire 800 port can support up to 63 devices in a daisy-chain, while USB does not support daisy-chain.

The 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro 2011 still comes with the model A1286, which Apple has used for this kind of laptops since Oct 2008.

Apple has added the warning to forbid users to throw away MacBook Pro as trash. But the Verizon iPhone doesn’t have such a warning.

The bottom case of 15-inch new Apple MacBook Pro is fixed by 10 Philips #00 screws instead of specialized pentalobe screws, which allows users to replace the RAM or hard drive by themselves.

The New 15-inch MacBook Pro is also equipped with the  PC3-10600 RAM as same as the one in the 2010 21.5″ and 27″ iMac, but different form previous Apple laptops. the PC3-10600 RAM of 15-inch MacBook Pro is compatible with the PC3-8500 RAM of the old version Unibody MacBook Pro, but the PC3-8500 RAM can not be used in this MacBook Pro 2011.

15- inch MacBook Pro packs a 77.5 WH battery with the same capacity as the previous one. But the battery life has been reduced form 8-9 hours to 7 hours. Has the performance decreased, or does Apple evaluation become more realistic?

As same as the previous Apple laptops, the battery of Apple MacBook Pro is fixed by the tri-wing screws.

A Spudger tool can easily disconnect the battery.

In this 15-inch MacBook Pro, you can disconnect the battery without removing it form the MacBook Pro, which is very convenient as users need to disconnect the battery before repair.

The wireless card of 15-inch MacBook Pro has been changed. The antenna has been increased from three to four. The three antennas work for 802.11n while the last one seems to be a dedicated antenna for Bluetooth 3.0. Although Apple doesn’t mention the improvement of wireless performance, Apple really does make the internal structure better quietly.

Prying the sealed EMI shield, we can see the true face of wireless connectivity: BCM4331 single-chip 802.11n Dual-Band 3X3  wireless solution provided by Broadcom. Bluetooth 3.0 support is handled by a BCM2070 in a separate, shielded section of the board.

The wireless card bracket of 15-inch MacBook Pro has been changed from previous plastic material to the aluminum, which may serve for the heat dissipation. The pink thermal pad is used to deliver heat from the circuit board to the aluminum bracket.

As same as most 15-inch Unibody laptops, the 15-inch MacBook Pro also comes equipped with two fans. In order to make the whole body cool, there are many temperature sensors scattered around the body of 15-inch MacBook Pro, including trackpad, battery, and the logic board.

After removing the main board, the heat sink is still attached. It is another convenient design to save the trouble of reapplying the thermal paste  every time after removing the main board.

Except two large main heat sinks inside 15-inch MacBook Pro, there are two smaller heat sinks. The previous 15-inch MacBook Pro 2010 was equipped with only one large heat sinks to cool just the CPU and GPU.

Will the thick thermal paste applied to the CPU and GPU cause overheating issues? Also different from 2010 version,  the graphics switching chip of MacBook Pro 2011 comes without a heat sink together.

The chip under the heat sink is a new chip that is most likely the Thunderbolt controller.

Thunderbolt port is placed in the top left corner. According the circuit board traces, the chipset may be the Thunderbolt control IC.

The AMD Radeon HD 6490M GPU of Apple MacBook Pro 2011

The quad-core core i7 processor of Apple MacBook Pro

Front side of the logic board of Apple MacBook Pro 2011

Back side of Logic board of Apple MacBook Pro 2011

Except the difference between the main board, new 15-inch MacBook Pro is the same as previous 15-inch unibody laptops.

The red circled little plastic plates seem to be used to keep the screen data cable and antenna bundle stationary while the screen is opened and closed.

The SuperDrive of new MacBook Pro has the model number of  UJ8A8, which may be different from the UJ898 drive of 15-inch MacBook Pro 2010.

New Apple MacBook Pro 2011 Disassembly Conclusion

The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is easy to repair. Because the bottom case is easily removed, and the battery connector is also easily access, which makes the repair of most components have no need to touch the battery screws. But the vast thermal paste applied may cause problems to repair.  The  tri-wing screws provides a certain degree of difficulty for users to change battery. To replace the LCD screen becomes tough as it’s easy to shatter the front glass panel of new MacBook Pro 2011.

You can also read:

New Apple MacBook Pro 2011

New Apple MacBook Pro Released

Apple has released the new MacBook Pro laptops on Feb 25. The new MacBook Pro laptops are not slimmer or lighter than the previous ones as expected, and the screen resolution is also still not promoted. It is the configuration updates only for new MacBook Pro laptops. New MacBook Pro laptops all boasts the Intel Sandy Bridge processor, ThunderBolt transfer technology, 720P HD camera and  SDXC memory card support. Besides the 13-inch MacBook Pro,  the other two laptops are all equipped with the AMD graphics.

Furthermore, new Apple MacBook Pro laptops are all changed to the new FaceTime HD camera which is capable for 720P HD video chat.

13-inch MacBook Pro is only equipped with Intel HD 3000 graphics and 4 GB DDR3 1333 standard memory (up to 8 GB), FaceTime HD camera, two USB 2.0 ports, Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps transfer speed), FireWire 800 port and SDXC card slot. The battery life of 13-inch MacBook Pro can last up to 7 hours.

13.3-inch New Apple MacBook Pro Specs

15-inch MacBook Pro is also equipped with 4 GB DDR3 1333 standard memory (up to 8 GB), FaceTime HD camera, two USB 2.0 ports, Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps transfer speed), FireWire 800 connector and SDXC card slot. The battery life of 15-inch MacBook Pro also can last up to 7 hours.

Different from assertive Dell Alienware and other brands’ gaudy laptops, Msi gaming laptops have always held a unique position in users’ hearts with concise appearance and high cost performance. Powered by the latest quad-core Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M graphics, Msi’s new laptop GT680 performs fantastic in gaming. Let’s feel the charm of Msi GT680 gaming laptop now.

Msi GT680 Appearance

Resembling previous Msi GX660/GT660, Msi GT680 comes with a modest way to express its understanding for game and entertainment. Although the black top cover looks very stylish, the plastic material decrease the whole sturdiness and it’s easy to collect ugly fingerprint as well, which is more or less a pity.

But there is no denying that the color scheme of black, grey, silver and red and the angular line design are in line with gamers’ taste, which resemble ASUS G series laptops more or less.

A set of speaker is placed above the keyboard of Msi GT680, while the Msi Logo and white-backlit power button are in the middle. It’s worth mentioning that Msi GT680 comes with dynaudio Acoustics system (four speakers and a subwoofer) supported by the THX TruStudio Pro technology, plus a 15-inch wide screen, providing more real audio effect for gamers while gaming.

Additionally, Msi GT680 is also available for LED backlighting control system. The power button is white-backlit, and two red-backlit control buttons are nearby. One of these buttons turns on orange LED backlight in the top cover and base of Msi GT680, two of which act as floodlights for whatever surface Msi GT680 resting on. From this point, Msi GT680 has already surpassed all the other Msi gaming laptops.

Msi GT680 Port Design

The Msi GT680 performs excellent in the aspect of connectivity. With a 15-inch large body, Msi GT680 has the VGA and HDMI for pronounced 1080P HD video playback, while as many as four USB ports (two USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports) also highlight the generality of Msi GT680. Regarding to the audio, Msi GT680 also supports perfect 7.1 digital audio, and four 3.5mm headset jacks also satisfy the need for many people listening at the same time, while one of these functions as a digital output too.

In the rear part, besides two video ports we mentioned above, there is also an e-SATA port, a card reader and a network card slot, which all shows Msi GT680 are completely equipped in the aspect of data transmission and internet application.

Msi GT680 Details

The Msi GT680 gaming laptop comes with the fashionable chocolate keyboard, but this kind of keycap is not good for actual gaming operation. However, the specifically divided “WSAD” keys still reveals the essence of the gaming laptop.

Because the Msi GT680 we review this time is not the one with the highest configuration, no high-end blu-ray drive is available. Of course, normal DVD burner will lower the whole price of Msi GT680.

The touchpad of Msi GT680 is accord with the whole appearance style. But in actual operation, due to the area limitation of this touchpad, users need a period of time to adapt. It’s also a pity that this touchpad doesn’t add multi-touch. The buttons in the touchpad are worked into a single, brushed metal rocker switch.

Msi GT680 Screen and Speaker

The Msi GT680 features a 15.6-inch screen with 1366X768 resolution, meeting the mainstream standard. However, due to the screen mirror design, Msi GT680 has a serious reflective problem in the highlight condition.

Besides the reflective issue, the Msi GT680 screen works superb in the regular condition. Compared with normal mainstream wide screen entertainment laptops, Msi GT680 performs prominent whether in the luminance or the saturation. Moreover, the viewing angle of the Msi GT680 is also impressive. Even for big angle of inclination, there is only a bit fuzzy in the display image.

The Dynaudio-branded speakers is supported by THX TruStudio Pro technology. The sound filed produced by the professional equipment is incomparable with excellent depth and dimensionality among the same level entertainment laptops.

Msi GT680 Overall Performance

As Msi GT680 comes equipped with Intel high-end quad-core 32nm processor and Nvidia 460M graphics, the whole performance of Msi GT680 is worth looking forward to.

In actual test of PCMark Vantage, Msi GT680 gets the overall score of 8022, totally superior to that of Msi GX740 and ASUS G73Jh, which archives a newly high standard.

With the powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M graphics, Msi GT680 has shown the competitive strength in the gaming test. In the game TrackMania Nations Forever, Msi GT680 entirely defeats the other two laptops with 164 FPS. While in the game Stalker: Call of Pripyat, Msi GT680 falls behind Asus G73Jh equipped with the Mobility Radeon 5870 graphics, but its overall performance is excellent.

To further test the true power of Msi GT680, we run Crysis in the highest special effects. We can see that these laptops work exactly the same result. Although Msi GT680 ranks second with 35.7 FPS, it’s still blameless.

Msi GT680 Battery Life

Msi GT680 gaming laptop definitely has strong performance via above tests. Then, what about the battery life of Msi GT680?

Msi GT680 is equipped with a 7800mAh/87Wh 9-cell Lithium battery. By the perfect power consumption control of Intel Sandy Bridge processor, Msi GT680 can last for 3 hours and 46 seconds, and totally defeats all the mainstream entertainment laptops.

Additionally, Msi GT680 also lasts for 2 hours and a half for DVD playback, which is rare to happen in current entertainment laptops.

Msi GT680 Conclusion

From the above tests, Msi GT680 gaming laptop performs very satisfying in each aspect. The superb screen and special speakers are impressive. But it is worth mentioning that as an outstanding gaming laptop, pronounced performance is needed, but only the one which can also offers adequate battery life is the best. Msi GT680 nearly 4 hours battery life cover the shortage of most gaming entertainment laptops, which is commendable.

Msi GT680 Gaming Laptop Specs

• Intel Core i7 2630QM processor, Intel HM65 high-speed chipset
• 8GB DDR3 Memory
• Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M graphics
• 15.6-inch Wide Screen
• 500GB*2 7200rpm hard drive
• WiFi+Bluetooth
• 9 cells Li battery
• Windows 7 OS
• 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 Ports, VGA, HDMI, Audio input/output port, RJ45, all in one card reader

You can also read:

MSI FX400 Laptop Review