Samsung Ativ Odyssey Set For Verizon Debut Tomorrow

Intel Exits the Desktop Motherboard Business

Huawei Ascend G615 Announced

Microsoft Surface Pro Officially Announced

Samsung Ativ Odyssey Set For Verizon Debut Tomorrow

The Samsung ATIV Odyssey is hitting Verizon stores tomorrow for the price of $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and two-year contract agreement.

This is the first Windows Phone 8 offering from the Korean manufacturer, and it'll boast some pretty standard mid range features and specs:

• Super AMOLED Display (WVGA 800x480)
• 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and full 1080p recording and 1080p playback
• Front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera for video chat
• Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11 a/b/g/n)
• 8 GB onboard storage (actual formatted capacity is less)
• 1 GB RAM
• Support for up to 64 GB microSD card
• 2100 mAh battery

As for Windows Phone 8 features, users can expect to see the same additions you'd see on any other Windows Phone device such as Live Tiles, Top apps, and Kid's Corner.

Source: IntoMobile

Intel Exits the Desktop Motherboard Business

After some 20 years of selling branded desktop motherboards, Intel will begin exiting this portion of its business, Intel spokesman Dan Snyder has told.

The Santa Clara chip giant will begin the retreat from desktop motherboards as soon as its next-generation Haswell CPU ships, and plans to dissolve its desktop motherboard business unit over the next three years.

Intel's move responds to market pressures from two directions. On one side, the world simply doesn't need as many desktop motherboards as it has in the past. Demand is shifting to laptops and tablets, so Intel is responding to changing times. On the other side, companies like Asus, Gigabyte and Asrock are meeting existing demand with a wide variety of motherboard products with innovative features. By turn, the feature sets offered by Intel motherboards often haven't kept pace with the offerings from Asian companies.

Intel says it will shift resources from desktop motherboards to boards for emerging form factors, such as the company’s recently released NUC (Next Unit of Computing), a tiny, 4-by-4-inch, self-contained PC. Intel will also focus on improving ultrabook and all-in-one systems designs. In addition to pursuing emerging form factors, Intel will also ramp up efforts to expand its Form Factor Reference Design (FFRD) work, assisting OEM partners in developing new board designs for desktop PCs.

Source: PC World

Huawei Ascend G615 Announced

Huawei has more than just a few smartphones in the works early on here in 2013. While they only showed off two at CES, it’s apparent that they have multiple mid-range and high end smartphone coming soon. Ttoday Huawei announced the Ascend G615.

It's no Ascend D2 but the 4.5-inch 1280x720 HD Ascend G615 looks pretty decent and will be headed to Germany and a few other international markets shortly. It’s quite similar to the recently announced G520, only they’re using a slightly different processor and there's a few other differences. The Ascend G615 comes with Huawei's own 1.4 GHz quad-core, instead of a MediaTek CPU.

Full specs for the new Ascend G615 are: a 4.5-inch 1280 x 720p IPS HD display, Huawei’s own 1.4 GHz quad-core HiSilicon K3V2 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8 megapixel camera, 8GB internal storage, and a decent 2,150 mAh battery under the hood. As usual, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microSD support and 1080p video recording are included.

The only downside to this otherwise decent smartphone is the fact that Huawei will launch it next month in Germany with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Not even 4.1 Jelly Bean. However they state an update to JB will arrive sometime in March, so that's good news.

Source: Android Community

Microsoft Surface Pro Officially Announced

Microsoft today announced that its Surface family of PCs is growing. Its newest model, Surface Windows 8 Pro, will be available for purchase on Feb. 9, 2013, in the United States and Canada at all Microsoft retail stores, microsoftstore.com, Staples and Best Buy in the U.S., as well as from a number of locations in Canada.

Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, Surface Windows 8 Pro is claimed to provide the power and performance of a laptop in a tablet package. It can run Windows 8 applications, as well as current Windows 7 desktop applications. Starting at an estimated retail price of US$899, Surface Windows 8 Pro will be available in 64GB and 128GB models. A Surface pen with Palm Block technology, designed specifically to work with Surface to let customers edit, collaborate and get things done, is included with Surface Windows 8 Pro.

Additional Surface accessories will also soon be available, allowing customers to further personalize and customize their device.

Besides, Surface Windows RT will be available in a new 64GB standalone version for an estimated retail price of US$599 to allow customers the option of selecting a cover of their choice. Three new Touch Cover Limited Editions in red, magenta and cyan will be sold at an estimated retail price of US$129.99.

Customers will have the option of purchasing a Wedge Touch Mouse, Surface Edition, for an estimated retail price of US$69.95 in all markets in which Surface is currently sold with additional markets to follow in the coming weeks.

Source: Microsoft

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