Check out this killer CES 2012 demo of Lenovo’s IdeaCentre A720 with its amazing 10-point multi-touch display.  It should be available the first half of 2012, starting at $1299.

From the press release:

IdeaCentre A720 All-in-One: Taking Touch Experience in the Home to the Next Level

As the industry’s slimmest 27″ all-in-one and sporting a sleek metal exterior, the IdeaCentre A720 measures less than an inch (24.5mm)2 and combines a frameless display supporting 10-point multi-touch. The A720 continues Lenovo’s heritage of svelte designs for the AIO by smartly positioning the PC at the base on the unit. Improving AIO design even further, the A720 is engineered to optimize the touch experience in the ‘digital’ home. The A720′s widely adjustable hinge allows the screen to be pulled towards the user at an angle of -5o and folded back to an angle of up to 90o, making touch applications more comfortable over longer periods in any position.

To optimize the touch experience on the AIO, the A720′s 10-point multi-touch display supports multi-user scenarios with greater accuracy. Powered by the Intel Core Processor family and NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics with up to 1TB HDD and 64 GB SSD storage, the A720 delivers an impressive home multimedia experience on a frameless high definition 16:9 wide-screen. With integrated entertainment features, such as room-shaking Dolby Home Theatre V4 audio, Lenovo High-Sense (720p HD) Webcam, and Lenovo IdeaTouch (a suite of touch-optimized applications and games), the A720 is an ultra stylish and fun addition for the modern home entertainment center.

Stay tuned.

The latest revision of the MacBook Pro is largely unchanged to the naked eye from the previous models.  The big changes are CPU and the addition of the Thuderbolt interface along with the shift to the AMD Radeon HD 6750M GPU and Intel’s integrated HD Graphics 3000.  Even the Thuderbolt interface is integrated into the mini display port further hiding the updated identity of the newest model.

The MacBook Pro (Thunderbolt) 13 incher ditches the Intel Core 2 processors in favor of the latest Intel i-series line-up with the Core i5 standard.  The i7 processor is an available option as well, but only in a dual core setup and your stuck with the integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics processor as well.  If a performance machine for hefty video or picture editing is in order the 15 or 17 inch model may be a better choice since they offer a quad-core i7 processor and the stand-alone, AMD graphics processor.

Design

There is no doubt that the MacBook Pro is beautiful to look at and with the returning backlit island keyboard that is second to none and working is just pleasurable.  The design is elegant and minimalistic with port opening precise and uncluttered with unnecessary seams like you’ll find on plastic-bodied laptops.  The MacBook Pro is machined from solid aluminum for a sleek look and feel and not only is it great looking, but it’s strong as well, with much less flex than a plastic body.  Visually, the only difference in the current Pro models over previous generations is the Thunderbolt icon next to the mini DisplayPort.

The main body is thin, rigid and sharp edged lending to the great looks, however those sharp edges can get uncomfortable to the hand palms and wrists.  The screen is protected by a thin layer of aluminum, with slightly rounded edges and the Apple logo centered.  I still prefer a standard mouse, but Apple’s trackpad works great and is almost as comfortable to use.  The large area and multitouch function makes for a mostly aggravation free experience.

Ports

The new 13″ MacBook Pro offers two USB ports, one MiniDisplayPort/Thunderbolt port, LAN port, a FireWire 800. While USB 3 and eSATA are faster, more Mac-targeted storage devices offer FireWire from the long standing Apple support and with the addition of Thunderbolt the potential for high speed transfer (and much more) exists . Also on board is a headphone jack, a SDXC-card slot and the trusty old DVD SuperDrive.  How about a Blu-Ray drive, Apple?  Last, but not least is a handy battery indicator allowing for quick visual inspection of the the battery level without having to boot.

Thuderbolt

Apple is really pumping Thunderbolt and rightfully so.  It’s a ground-breaking technology, tapping directly into PCI Express, offering a theoretical throughput speed of 10 Gbps. The port is also able to power peripherals such as external hard drives, carrying up to 10 watts of juice and also supports daisy-chaining up to six devices, meaning you could connect a large monitor along with multiple high-speed hard drives, but unfortunately there are just not many peripherals on the market, even now, after the technology has been present in the MacBook Pro for several months.

Since the technology is property of Intel, more and more manufactures will adopt it in the future as peripherals continue hit the market and as fiber optics gains ground in cabling.  For now, Apple has integrated it into the Mini DisplayPort and now has the Thunderbolt display which expands the available ports allowing peripheral connection to the external monitor for easy plug and play operation.  The good news is that all the existing monitors or adapters will continue to work too.  Thunderbolt’s versatility means that Thunderbolt-USB, Thunderbolt-Firewire, or even a Thunderbolt-Fiber channel is possible.

Performance

Under the 13-inch MacBook Pro’s hood is a 2.3GHz Core i5 CPU (a big improvement over the previous Core 2 Duo chip) and 4GB of RAM. A highly praised upgrade, every performance testing I’ve read puts the i5 powered MBPs way ahead of the old Core 2 models.  One the other hand, Intel’s integrated HD3000 GPU is a little less powerful than the NIVIDIA chip is replaced, but was a nesecary change in order to take advantage of the i5′s architecture (so I’ve read).  At any rate overall performace is up, but graphics performance is down a bit compared to the previous model, so video editors and gamers a 15 or 17 incher with  the dedicated GPU may be better suited to your needs, though the 13 inch MBP is very capable of light to medium duty work.

Memory (RAM) comes in the form of 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM in an array of 2, 2GB modules standard and can be upgraded to 2, 4GB modules to max out the notebook at 8GB.

Apple now includes a 5ooGB, 5400 RPM hard drive standard, which is a pretty generous amount of storage for a notebook, however, a 750GB version is available also.  All the MacBook Pros can be outfitted with solid state drives (SSD) as well, with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB flavors available.  Although the standard hard drive is acceptable with a good amount of storage and descent boot times, I wish Apple would at least make a 7,200 RPM hard drive the standard, but I suppose there may be a marketing ploy at work here to entice customers to upgrade to a SSD or a more expensive model.

Display

Glass frames the MacBook Pros 13.3-inch screen with no antiglare option available.  You’ll have to step up to the at least the 15 incher for that and that’ll cost you another $150 over the base.  I have wanted anti-glare more than once though and if you are going be working in well lit areas often at least consider it.  The display has excellent brightness, color, and contrast, and the screen’s viewing angles are generous, but oddly enough the 1,280 x 800 native pixel resolution is n0ticiable less than the 1,400 x 900 of the 13 inch MacBook Air when compared side by side.  An upgrade from the previous model would have been nice.

Audio

One of the concerns I had about the 13 inch model before I had it in my hands was the audio quality, but those concerns were quickly dismantled after hearing the crisp, smooth tones.  Music and vocals alike are sharp without distortion.  Bass is lacking, but that is to be expected from most any notebook speaker.

FaceTime and HD Camera

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro now supports 720p HD video calls, thanks to a new HD camera and a newly installed FaceTime app that first debuted on the iPhone 4, Add the two together and you’ve got a great video chat tool at your fingertips. In my tests, I’ve called someone who was using iPad 2 via FaceTime and noted sharp, life-like colors.  Image quality was also very good (in good light) with smooth motion on a good connection.  Defaulting to portrait mode, FaceTime can be flipped over to landscape view or full screen. Keep in mind that the app will only transmit a hi-def video stream if hardware on the other end can handle it and slow connections can make for a jittery conversation.

Battery Life

Battery life is quite impressive.  I can easily go 6+ hours with multiple browsers running, WIFI enabled, display at half brightness and on the entire time and the backlit keyboard set at the lowest illumination.  The FaceTime HD webcam is a power hog, so have an outlet handy if your going to be video chatting much.

Heat has long been an issue with the MacBook Pro and still remains to be at times, though the i-series processor help control the heat much better.  Things stay relatively cool with web surfing and light duty work, but watch videos or edit pictures and movies and heat will start building up.  Only a handful of times have I felt that my MBP was getting overly hot.

Software and Warranty

Apple offers (in my opinion) the best software bundle around. In addition to the Lion operating system, the MacBook Pro comes with the excellent iLife ’11 suite (iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb, and GarageBand), Front Row, Photo Booth, and the Time Machine backup software.  I wish there was a word processor pre-installed that offered a few more bells and whistles than TextEdit.  However, Pages costs a mere $19.99 from the App Store.  Which brings me to another point.  Thousands of apps are available at the App Store and are readily available at any time and are largely inexpensive.

Apple provides the same standard warranty coverage as previous MacBook Pros: one-year parts and labor and 90 days of toll-free, 24/7 phone support. The Apple Care Protection Plan, which includes three years each of parts-and-labor coverage and phone support, costs $249.

Conlusion

Apple once again has a winner in my book.  The 2011 MacBook Pro has been tuned up with the latest Intel i-series processors, FaceTime HD and Thunderbolt.  The battery life is impeccable and the glass TouchPad is the best on the market.  Video editors and gamers probably need to pass.  The 13 inch MacBook Air offers a better display, the advantages of flash memory standard and light weight, but if a speedy processor and on-the-go endurance is a must, the 13 MacBook Pro will not disappoint.  In short,  this is a great laptop choice for most people.

MacBook Pro 13 inch (Thunderbolt) at B&H Photo/Video

MacBook Pro 13 inch (Thunderbolt) at Amazon

If you didn’t read the morning news, and just dropped by apple.com to check out the latest iPhone 4S, or to shop for a MacBook Pro, you were greeted by the image of Steve Jobs, who died of pancreatic cancer at age 56.

Whether you are an Apple “fan” or not, all of us can agree that America (in fact, the world) lost one of the largest visionaries in the tech world.  Ideas that computers, phones, should be easy to use, are common sense today, but not when the first Mac products hit the shelves.  When most experts assumed that a tablet with the funny name ‘iPad’ would fail miserably, Jobs somehow had the vision that it would be successful, and it has changed the consumer electronic landscape since its introduction.

Sure, not all of his ideas panned out, but that’s not the point.  Most successful entrepreneurs experience many failures before experiencing large successes.  Taking risks is part of that personality.  Leaders of companies that played it safe, wonder why their company is stagnant, and products not at the head of the class.

So, who will fill the vacuum created by Jobs death?  Not just at Apple, but in the tech world in general… Does anyone come to mind?

Windows 8, the successor to the Windows 7 operating system from Microsoft, was recently announced, and it’s getting a warm response from the tech bloggers.  Like Apple’s OS Lion, which tries to integrate some tablet-friendly features to a desktop, Windows 8 takes it a bit further.

Details, as well as a YouTube demo video, after the break:

Some unique aspects of Windows 8 is that it’s ready for touch screens.  The tile start screen design is called the “Metro UI” (User Interface), which contains “Live” tiles (which update, like emails, or facebook statuses) – and it evolved from the Windows Phone 7 design.  Those uninitiated to WP7 (Windows’ smartphone operating system) will probably see this as quite a departure from most desktop designs.  You can still make Windows 8 look and work like Windows 7, but you’ll need to click on it as if it were an independent app.  So it seems you have choices for how your desktop looks and works.

Not only will this be a touch screen tablet operating system, but it will be a mainstream pc operating system as well, which means it’s also mouse and keyboard ready.

Check out the video, and the link to Techland’s article, and leave a comment on what you think about Microsoft’s newest operating system.

-via  Techland.

hp.com

According to the New York Times report, Hewlett Packard has decided to manufacture another round of its TouchPads.  No word on how many units, but they will be available in “a few weeks” at the original fire sale prices of $99 for the 16GB unit, and $150 for the 32 GB TouchPads.  Let us know if you’re able to get your hands on one!

 - via NYTimes.com.

Check out the promotional video by ASUS, maker of the Eeepad transformer (which came with the optional keyboard dock), now coming out with the EeePad Transformer Slider, which has a built-in keyboard.  The form factor is similar to that of a slider qwerty phone, in tablet size.

What do you think of this design?  Other than bluetooth keyboard makers, I’m guessing users will like this no compromise tablet design.

(Photo Credit - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)

CNET reported on this study conducted by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, where researchers used webcams to provide continuous feedback regarding the user’s posture.   Did it work?  Description of their experiment, and the results, after the break.

The University study included 60 volunteers (University and hospital workers, and they’re not called “subjects” anymore, by the way), randomly assigned into three conditions:  1) control group who did not receive any training or intervention; 2) group that received personalized ergonomic training and workplace adjustments; and 3) “a photo-training group that received both office training and an automatic frequent-feedback system that displayed on the computer screen a photo of the worker’s current sitting posture together with the correct posture photo taken earlier during office training.” (via Abstract, Journal of Applied Ergonomics)

So, what were the results?  Did one group show significant change in their posture?  Here’s a summary, taken from the Abstract of the published article:

Both training methods provided effective short-term posture improvement; however, sustained improvement was only attained with the photo-training method. Both interventions had a greater effect on older workers and on workers suffering more musculoskeletal pain. The photo-training method had a greater positive effect on women than on men.

To me, this was an interesting use of technology, and not even ‘fancy’ tech, to alter behavior.  It was just a webcam!  This feedback system is very similar to “biofeedback,” that we were trained on in the field of Psychology.  With biofeedback, patients (clients) were hooked up to various physical measures, like blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature.  These biological measurements were shown to them on a screen in real time, while they were trying a relaxation exercise, either to reduce stress, or for pain management.  It was quite effective for many of the patients in the pain management clinic, and a good alternative to potent drugs that could have strong side effects.

There’s something to the idea of getting real time feedback that helps to change behavior.  Out of all the tech related studies I’ve seen lately, we finally come across a study with true scientific rigor, and real world utility.  However, I wonder how long it takes before the user tunes the feedback out, before they begin to be ignored?  Or does the behavior change ‘stick,’ leaving the software program unnecessary?

-Via Health Tech – CNET News.

News Flash!  Skype for iPad is now in the App Store, and it’s free.  iPad users had to settle for the iphone/ipod version, which did not make good use of the larger iPad screen, and one could not instant message during a video call.  Of course, you will not be able to send video with the 1st generation iPad, due to the lack of front facing camera.  You can see the party that is calling you though.  But you knew that already.

Have you tried it?   How do you like it?

Read more about Skype for iPad.

We all know the drill: “Ok, what’s the printer’s name?”  Which is promptly followed by: “It’s HP Laserjet *gibberish*”  Then we print, and our document ends up somewhere on the other side of the building (if we’re lucky).

Of course, the solution many of us develop is to name the devices relative to the location (e.g., HP Laserjet North Hallway 2).  But what if your computer simply knew which printer was closest – and gave that info to you?

It looks like Apple has that in its bag of tricks and we could see it on a Mac or iPad near you soon.

Apple has filed a patent application relating to “local device awareness” technology that helps find the printers and other devices on your network that are actually close to you.  According the the application, Apple’s location aware device will use any or a combination of indoor GPS, Bluetooth, RFID, ultrasonic or infrared tech to locate the physical proximity of other network devices in the vicinity.

The implementation of this location mapping gets pretty sexy with high-frequency 3D imagery of a room being one of the possible ways to gather proximity and location data.

Apple specifically calls out the use of a “tablet computer” as part of this technology, so walking over to a printer in a network full of printers and tapping the print button on your iPad 3/4/etc. may be a real possibility.

And an ‘oh crap’ moment is in there for slackers who like to ‘collaborate’ from outside the office/classroom:

The local device awareness may be implemented in various different devices and for various different purposes. For example, local device awareness may be useful in collaborative environments. In one embodiment, the local device awareness may be used as a security measure. Specifically, access to a particular collaborative project may only be gained by being present.

One thing is for sure from patents applications like this – Apple’s plan for the iPad is only just beginning.  Looking at the big picture, it’s not too difficult to see that the iPad could become of iPod of the 2010′s, while Android and other tablet devices could very well being the “other MP3 players.”

You can check out the full patent application PDF and more images below:

Apple Local Device Awareness Patent App.

The folks at Manolution put together a colorful infographic of the history of Microsoft and Apple.  Check out the battle royale between the two tech giants after the break:

Via Manolution