Gadget Update: last of January 2010

We welcome you to another MacPCWiz Gadget Update, our last one for the opening month of the year. This is where we feature any gadget that we find that may have tickled our fancy, or may just be so darned ugly that we can’t NOT write about it.

Let’s get on with the gadgets then.

A Lenovo “multitouch” tablet netbook

The Lenovo Ideapad S10-3t: Yes, it's a Lenovo netbook...

We like Lenovo, and not just because it’s IBM spelled modern. You can expect a high level of quality from their systems, whatever they may be. You’ve seen their netbooks, we actually have one of those. But we were mildly surprised at this offering though — the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t is a tablet netbook, and has multi-touch. A multi-touch tablet netbook! We dig that.

... but it's a TABLET netbook. And it has multi-touch!!

Specs run like so: a choice Intel Atom processors — either a 1.66GHz N450 processor or a 1.83GHz N470 processor, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 320GB 6400rpm 2,5 inch SATA hard drive.Not bad at all. The vanilla accessories — built in 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, Ethernet and optional 3G and WiMax, plus two USB 2.0 ports, a 6-in-1 card reader , VGA output, headphone jack, microphone jack, and a 1.3 megapixel web camera. With either a four cell or eight cell battery, battery life will be 4 hours to 10 hours respectively. Prices will start at $499.99. You want one?

First seen at Liliputing.com.

Sarotech has monster USB 3.0 hard drives

Sarotech Korea's Hardbox 3.0 - USB 3.0 Terrabyte external hard drives

Korean external hard drive manufacturers Sarotech give new meaning to humongous external storage. Their new Hardbox 3.0 comes in 1TB, 1.5TB, 2 TB and 3 TB sizes. All of these drives are USB 3.0 compatible, with transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps. Yeah, you guessed it, we’d like one of those too. And for the stylish in you, these gadgets are shaped like a black book — stack ‘em, or line them up in your bookshelf after use, and they won’t look the least bit out of place. These come out in March, so no idea on the pricing yet.

First seen at AkihibaraNews.com.

ITG comes out with a Win XP-powered phone

The ITG XP Phone - more than meets the eye?

We wonder why people have not caught up on this — Windows XP should make for a great mobile OS, now that the hardware available is robust enough to run it. In Technology Group or ITG from China is coming out with a mobile phone that’s Windows XP-powered, taking advantage of the app flexibility the OS has. From the looks of it, it’s a fully functional QWERTY-type phone. But we see that it could have the potential to be more than just a phone.

QWERTY, and full-featured to the brim

Run through the specs: an AMD Super Mobile CPU, it has up to 1GB DDR RAM, and a choice of 8GB, 16GB or 32GB storage — using Solid State Drives. It displays through a 4.8″ LCD TFT touch screen. It has a lot of impressive support features, and we wouldn’t expect any less from something that comes from China — quad-band phone network support, a full range of external jacks — USB 2.0, VGA output, earphone and microphone jacks, 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS. It has the works. Impressed yet? Wait, there’s more.

And it comes in red. Red!

Even more impressive is the application support — the phone comes with Microsoft Exchange support, Mobile Skype, document viewing and editing, mobile DIVX support, and it also offers syncing with Gmail. Since it is Windows XP running the show, think of all the possibilities you have within that foundation. And yes, it comes in black, silver, white and our favorite — apple red.

First seen at 234next.com.

The Apple iPad tablet finally launches

The iPad - small wonder

Steve Jobs hopes this will be as big a hit as the iPhone

This was the biggest gadget news of January — bar none. Check out our Apple iPad launch article, which includes specs, trivia, eye candy, and even stuff that we DO NOT like about it. See for yourself and see if you like it yourself, or not.

It’s OK not to like it.

See you next time on MacPCWiz’s Gadget Update.