Windows 7 Tablet Gets CPU Upgrade, More

Archos is sporting a meatier Archos 9 tablet at ceBIT 2010.

Jkkmobile, currently attending CeBIT 2010, is reporting that Archos is showcasing an upgraded version of its PC tablet, the Archos 9. The hardware revision could be a sign that Archos plans to duke it out with Apple and its upcoming tablet, the iPad.

Packed with Windows 7 Starter Edition, an 8.9-inch LED backlit, resistive touchscreen, 1GB or RAM and 60GB of HDD storage, the current version poses as a handy tool around the house for a meaty $550 USD. Consumers can play 1080p videos on its 16:9 screen, have video chats with its built-in webcam, and even access websites utilizing Adobe's Flash platform. It's definitely a sexy little machine.

However the version on display at CeBIT 2010 offers a faster CPU. The current model sports the Intel Atom Z510 clocking at 1.1 GHz, whereas the upgrade model's CPU is clocked at 1.2 GHz. There was also mention of a faster GPU (the current model uses the Intel Poulsbo US15W), a faster bus, and hyper-threading. The site also said that the hard drive size still remains the same at 1.8-inches... no surprise there.

The rest of the specs apparently are unchanged: a 1024 x 600 native resolution, USB 2.0 ports, Realtek ALC269 audio and more. Future upgrades may bring a capacitive multitouch display and an optional 3G module.

The revamped Archos 9 should pose as an excellent rival to Apple's iPad when it eventually hits the market. Hopefully the price will be reasonable.

Microsoft Shows Über-cool Mobile Touch-Surface

Microsoft today demonstrated the company's Mobile Surface technology at its annual TechFest.

Redmond's Surface Tabletop PC has garnered a lot of attention. While everyone agrees that it's awesome, no one can really figure out a practical and economical use for the device. However, a mobile version of the same software is another story.

TechFlash has a pretty nifty video of the technology in action. The set-up shows a camera, a projector and a cell phone. A projection of the cell phone display is made on a tabletop, and the user interacts with this projection image. The coolest part of it all is that you don't need to touch the image on the table to control things. The demo below shows volume being controlled with mid-air gestures.

Check out the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOw4PtLAVKk

Intel Introduces Faster Atom N470 at 1.83 GHz

This Atom's running a little faster... but it could still use some outside help.

The Atom, even in its new Pineview guise, isn't a screaming demon; but Intel today launched a slightly faster iteration of its ubiquitous low-power processor. Now joining the original 1.66 GHz Atom N450 is the N470, which dials its single-core to run at 1.83 GHz with the usual 512KB of L2 cache and DDR2-667 support.

While the slight speed bump isn't going to be changing the character of Atom-based netbooks anytime soon, the option of a "high-end" CPU for netbooks might encourage OEMs to package more capable multimedia-oriented parts with the Atom N470, such as the Broadcom Crystal HD video processor or the Nvidia Ion 2 chipset.

Intel says that major OEMs are expected to introduce systems based on this processor over the coming months.

Corsair Launches Reactor, Nova SSDs

Now you can get an SSD that could match your Corsair RAM in your rig.

Early last month we learned the Corsair has prepared two new lines of 2.5-inch SSDs. Now, those SSDs, the new Reactor Series and Nova Series, are available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide.

The Reactors have 128MB of onboard cache with its second-generation JMicron JMF612 controller, and read and write speeds are quoted at 250MB/s and 110MB/s, respectively, for the 60GB drive, and the larger 120GB offering will hit 250MB/s and 170MB/s.

Those who want more speed and are fond of the Indilinx Barefoot controller with 64MB of cache can turn to the slightly more expensive Nova series, also in similar capacities as the Reactor. The quicker model features read speeds of up to 270MB/s and write speeds of 130MB/s on the 60GB model and 190MB/s on the 120GB model.

Both Reactor Series and Nova Series SSDs fully support the TRIM command in Microsoft Windows 7.

After the iPad? The iBoard and iMat, Of Course!

Bigger is always better, right?

Most people don't like the way Apple rolls out products. The company releases a device, only to roll out the "next version" a year later. The newer model usually contains only a few minor tweaks, which could have been implemented on the original (copy-paste on the iPhone anyone?).

It was this mindset that had people criticizing the iPad. "It's just a giant iPhone," they said. "It even runs the same OS as the iPhone and iPod Touch!" Well here's one for the people who think Apple's line of products has gotten just a bit too linear.

The folks over at begeek.fr have predicted the next two iterations of the Apple iPad. Behold! The iBoard and the iMat!