Lenovo injects IdeaPad laptop range with Haswell boost

Not wanting to be left behind in the wake of everybodygetting in on the Haswell action, Lenovo has updated its top end Windows 8 powered IdeaPad Ultrabooks to include Intel's latest CPU.

The Chinese laptop maker's latest U-series models, the U330 Touch and U430 Touch, will be offered with a 4th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to 8GB RAM and optional NVIDIA graphics with up to 2GB VRAM. They are set to replace the currently available U310 Touch and U410 Touch models.

The U330 Touch will be found with a 13.3-inch display and the choice of a 1366x768 or 1920x1080 pixel resolution display, while the U430 Touch wil offer a 14-inch display and the same resolution options.

Both models are available in multiple storage configurations, including a 1TB HDD with 16GB SSD, a 500GB SSD with an integrated 16GB NAND flash, or 256GB SSD.

Creeping Ivy

Lenovo has also updated its entry level S range to include 3rd Generation Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processors.

That includes the 11-inch S210 Touch, the 14-inch S400 Touch and the 15.6-inch S500 Touch, which include i3 or i5 CPUs, up to 8GB of RAM and an optional touchscreen display. The IdeaPad S400 and S500 can be fitted with optional discrete graphics in the form of NVIDIA's AMD S400 (in the 400) or its S500 (in the 500).

Samsung has billed the new models as available this summer, with the its U-range models starting at $799, and S-range variations starting at $500. No word yet on UK pricing.

LG hosting mysterious event August 7, could it be next-gen Optimus G time?

It's rare we have such advanced warning for an industry happening, but LG considerately gave us a heads up today that it's planning an "international media event" in New York City on August 7. Thanks guys. We'll mark our calendars.

The timing is intriguing. Wednesday the companyannounced that it and Qualcomm are joining forces to bestow the Snapdragon 800 inside the Optimus G's successor. It could be the Optimus G2, or new type of G altogether.

We also caught wind of LG developing a phone with an always-on voice command function, a handset also said to pack the supped-up processor.

More information is due in the coming weeks, but you can be sure TechRadar will be here to bring you all the latest.

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The world is crackling with news, and we've got all the need-to-know news nuggets for in our blip section.

Did the Samsung Galaxy S4 with Snapdragon 800 get snapped by a blogger?

A possible Samsung Galaxy S4 powered by the Snapdragon 800 processor has had the rumour mills running hot since yesterday, and now a photograph of an S4 look-a-like has popped up on the same day as theSamsung Premier 2013 event.

Photographed by micro-blogger Palm, Slashgear believes it could very well be Samsung's Snapdragon 800 iteration of its S4 because of the physical similarities, including its button placing and wallpaper set. The phone is shown to be in a casing, which Samsung has used previously on unreleased phones.

Timing and coincidences aside, it's probably best to take this photograph with a helping of salt without any sort of official announcements or confirmations on if the phone even exists.

Snapdragon reality

Earlier we reported another clue to signify a possible S4 variant in the form of a user manual. As an unlikely clue, the online manual for a South Korean device known as the SHV-E330S shows that it hasQualcomm's new Snapdragon 800 processor.

If this device ends up being an S4 variant, it would support LTE-advanced, 2.3GHz quad-core processing and Adreno 330 graphics, with the possibility of 4K video output.

With so little known about Samsung's plans for the phone, if an S4 variant did become a reality, it might not even be released in the West.

iPhone 5S snapped with dual-LED flash?

This could be the closest we've got to the iPhone 5S yet. Some new pictures of the device have apparently been handed over showing the device flaunting a particularly notable new feature.

The exterior picture shows a handset almost identical to theiPhone 5, except with a vertical shaped window at the top that looks very much like a dual-LED flash.

The only other difference to spot is the bigger 5.92 Whr battery, compared to the 5.45 Whr in the iPhone 5.

Flashdance

MacRumours points out that the "1243" code on the bottom of the main chip signifies that this was manufactured in October 2012, which is quite early. It's therefore unclear as to whether this is a prototype or the final product.

The internal layout isn't anything to get excited about beyond that and we can't tell if this will be running the iPhone 5's A6 chip. However, we're not too surprised to see Apple following its usual routine of keeping to small tweaks for its S version phones.

We're expecting the iPhone 5S to touch down later this year alongside the cheaper iPhone that we're now hearing might not be so cheap after all.

Sony tweets new smartwatch teaser as a tipster weighs in

In addition to Sony's own tweets, an in-the-know source has spilled a few beans over what he/she says is a very real gadget.

Speaking with CNET, the source claimed Sony's new watch will be a successor to its SmartWatch MN2SW. The new SmartWatch will supposedly run some version of Android, own a larger touch screen than the MN2SW and feature a 3-icon layout beneath the display.

While that's all well and good (and still pretty vague), one interesting tidbit is that the device could come packing NFC, meaning easy syncing between phone and watch.

We should know all next week, so keep an eye on the clock, so to speak, for Sony's Tuesday media event.

Original article...

Over on Twitter, Sony is raining down clanging great hints about its plans to launch a new smartwatch.

Ahead of an event in Shanghai next week, Sony's official Xperia Twitter account has been posting such missives as:

"One in three smartphone users want smart wrist wear" alongside the neither big nor clever hashtag #itstime.

Clues everywhere

Also tagged in the tweet is Mobile Asia Expo 2013, which kicks off next week - there's a Sony media event planned for Tuesday.

Putting two and two together, we've come out with four and decided that Sony is probably going to launch a new Xperia-branded smartwatch at Mobile Asia Expo 2013 on Tuesday next week.

Of course, Sony already has the LiveView wearable remote, but in the light of the Pebble and the many and varied rumours of Apple's plans to launch an iWatch, we wouldn't be surprised to see Sony give the smart watch segment some love.

Hands on: Samsung ATIV One 5 Style review All-in-one des

Samsung has drawn back the curtain to reveal the curiously named ATIV One 5 Style, a 21.5-inch all-in-one PC.

At first glance, the Style resembles what might emerge if you placed Apple's smaller iMac and a Galaxy Tab in one of the Telepods from The Fly. Rather than a freakish mutation, however, this machine takes the former's compact and minimalistic design with the latter's smooth plastic shell to create something curiously attractive.

While not quite as slim as the latest iMac models (but likely to be more affordable), the Style makes an admirable attempt at holding back the bulk, measuring 26.9mm at its thickest point. Picking the 5.9Kg machine up, it posesses a solid, weighty feel that belies its lightweight appearance. And an accidental swing of the arm wouldn't be likely to knock it over, thanks to its backwards protruding base.

Built for Windows 8 with a 1920x1080 pixel resolution touch-sensitive display, the Style can run fully fledged desktop programs in addition to apps downloaded from the Windows Store. The panel produced bold colours and decent viewing angles, verifying Samsung's claim that the machine would make a suitable media hub.

Bending the monitor back allowed some variation in angles, though it didn't extend quite as fully as we'd have hoped.

The ATIV One 5 Style houses an AMD A6 Quad Core Processor with a shared graphics chip and 4GB RAM. While those specs aren't going to set the world on fire, it should prove adequate for the average home or office user, and the desktop was nippy and responsive when we pawed our way through the OS.

The Style features a row of ports located at the rear centre of the machine, including two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports and a 3-in-1 card reader. Additionally, an HDMI port allows users to connect a Blu-ray player or games console to use the Style as a monitor. A concealed SD card slot, revealed with a light press of the finger, is located near the edge at the back.

We weren't expecting the Style's 720p webcam to be crystal clear, but we were slightly disappointed with the level of pixellation after switching to full screen. It should be adequate for casual Skype sessions with friends or colleagues, but those looking for greater clarity in their video calls would need to invest in a higher resolution camera.

The Style is set to ship with a wired keyboard and wireless mouse that feature a design consistent with the machine and the company's Galaxy range of products. While the keyboard was fairly Mac-like, we prefer the snug and ergonomic feel of the Style's mouse to Apple's equivalent.

The ATIV One 5 Style will be available to buy in the UK later this year.