Posted 02/03/10 at 05:39:29 PM by Jason Barry

Gateway computer introduced some new models into three of its desktop computer lines. The upgraded machines feature more power, capacity, and performance while maintaining Gateway’s trademark low price tag.

In the FX line, revamped machines sport Intel Core i7 processors, Radeon HD5850, at least 8GB of DDR3 memory and Blu-ray/DVD or DVD-RW drive and numerous improvements to its chassis design. The highest priced FX unit runs at $1699.99. The DX line runs Intel Core i5 processors and various nVidia graphics and Blu-ray options depending on your configuration maintaining a midline pricing of about $849.99 (Nvidia GT220, 4x Blu-Ray). Lastly, the SX series of small-form-factor desktops gets Core i3 processors, GMA X4500HD graphics, 6GB DDR3 memory retailing at $599.99 and handles HDMI out of the box for HTPC builders.

You can check out Gateway’s latest improvements at the Gateway store.

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Posted 12/15/09 at 07:26:41 AM by Paul Lilly

There aren't many power users in the PC (as in, Window's based PCs) community who will admit to wanting a Mac, but there are those who secretly love the look of Apple's Mac Mini. If this sounds like you, then you might be a prime candidate for Ripple Look's new HTPC, which looks a lot like that other kind of personal computer.

From what we can gather, the Ripple Look boasts an Intel Atom 230 processor, a 2.5-inch 160GB hard drive, integrated Intel GMA X4500 graphics with HD video support and DX10, four USB 2.0 ports, a LAN port, audio inputs, printer port, serial port, and VGA port. Missing, however, is HDMI and Wi-Fi connectivity.

There are a couple of different ways you can situate the Ripple Look in your living room. Rubber pads on the bottom prevent vibration if you opt to toss the unit into your home theater rack, or you can remove the bottom plate to reveal VESA mount holes for attaching it to the back of your LCD TV or monitor.

No word yet on price or availability, but you can check out a video demo here.

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Posted 12/14/09 at 07:59:21 AM by Paul Lilly

The chaps at PiixL, a London-based startup, announced on Saturday a crazy thin home theater PC (HTPC) called the EdgeCenter 3770. But unlike other space-saving HTPC setups, this one's designed to be mounted directly behind any flat screen TV with a VESA mounting interface and a screen size between 37 to 70 inches.

That means you can hide your HTPC out of sight rather than taking up a shelf in your home theater's rack. And though it measures just 30mm thick, the base model EdgeCenter 3770 supports up to two TV tuners, an Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad processor, integrated Nvidia 9300 graphics, up to 4GB of ultra low profile DDR2 RAM, up to 2TB of hard drive space, optional 7.1 audio, an optional Blu-ray reader/writer, and Windows 7 Ultimate in either 32-bit or 64-bit form.

There's also a couple of higher-end configurations, like the EdgeCenter 3770 Maxxed Up Edition. This one boasts two Intel Xeon processors, up to a staggering 24GB of DDR3 memory, and videocard options ranging from the ATI HD 4670 on up to the HD 5850 (the 5850 negates the ability to mount the EdgeCenter on a 500x400 VESA pattern).

PiixL's new EdgeCenter models are available now starting at about $3,650 on the low end, and about $8,050 for the dual-Xeon configuration.

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Posted 12/09/09 at 06:43:30 PM by Jason Barry

The folks over at Boxee released some great information and pictures about the "soon to be released" Boxee box. Boxee has partnered with networking giant D-Link to build and develop the new set-top box.

On the Boxee blog, Andrew Kippen posted some nice pictures of the new hardware. Astro Studios created the design of the box, the same folks who worked on the Xbox 360. They hope to keep the cost of the box sub-$200 and it features a slew of ports (HDMI, SPDIF, USB, 802.11n/Ethernet, to name the biggies). It also seems to be quite petite (see pictures after the jump using soda can for scale).

They expect the box to be released in quarter two of 2010. They also plan to announce more details at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

There are a couple more pics after the jump.

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Posted 11/25/09 at 11:54:54 AM by Paul Lilly

Now available from USB Geek is the aptly named USB Wireless Handheld Keyboard and Touchpad. The marketing gurus have pegged the device as a simple wireless input device, but this could be the perfect stocking stuffer for HTPC enthusiasts.

You won't find a multitouch interface nor is there an LCD. But it does come with a trackpad, wireless USB dongle, and a QWERTY keyboard in a form factor that will have all those hours honing your text messaging skills paying off.

It works from up to 30 feet away, and a bright backlight ensures you'll have little trouble manipulating your DVR in the dark. It also comes with a built-in rechargeable battery and supports Windows 7, Vista, XP,  and 2000. And at $62, it's not going to break the bank either.

Check out a video of the remote USB Wireless Handheld Keyboard and Touchpad in action here, then hit up the product page for more info.

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Posted 11/13/09 at 11:30:07 AM by Paul Lilly

If the Mac Mini and a bag of Skittles were to share a night of unbridled love, we're pretty the love child of such an affair would look identical to the Zino HD, Dell's new line of colorful low-power home theater PCs.

Dell kicks off the HTPC line with several base configurations, each one built around an AMD processor. The least expensive  Zino HD starts at just $230 and includes an AMD Athlon 2560e processor (1.6GHz, 512KB L2 cache), 2GB of DDR2-800 memory, 250GB hard drive spinning at 7200RPM, integrated ATI Radeon HD3200 graphics, 2.1 audio, an 8X DVD burner, and Windows Vista Home Basic. The OS is a bit of a surprise, considering each of the three other configurations come with Windows 7 Home Premium in 64-bit trim.

The highest priced model checks in at $650 and kicks the processor up to an AMD Athlon 2850e (1.8GHz, 512KB L2 cache), doubles up on memory (4GB), adds twice as much storage (500GB), tosses in an ATI Radeon HD 4330 videocard with a 512MB frame buffer, and includes a 20-inch Dell ST2010 widescreen monitor.

All of the models come with 4 USB ports (2 each on the front and back) and 2 eSATA ports.

The Zino HD is available now through Dell.com.

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Posted 10/14/09 at 08:30:23 AM by Paul Lilly

Home entertainment company GlideTV on Tuesday announced a new device the company says combines the functionality of a keyboard, mouse, and AV remote all rolled into one.

The GlideTV Navigator, as it's being called, won the 2009 Best of Innovations Award at CES earlier this year. It includes a remote, charging station, USB wireless receiver, and works with Windows, Mac, Sony's PlayStation 3 console, and any set-top box that supports standard mouse and keyboard HID devices, the company said.

"Up to now, consumes who wanted to connect a computer to the TV to take advantage of digital content had to bring office equipment to their living room, making the experience bulky and cumbersome," said Chris Painter, President and founder. "With the Navigator, GlideTV brings simplicity to accessing internet-based entertainment and ushers in a new era for computing in the living room."

Some of the Navigator's features include backlit AV buttons, dedicated Esc, Enter, Back, and Function keys, an on-screen keyboard (Windows only), and rechargeable battery. GlideTV says its remote will work with all the media apps you're used to using, including Windows Media Center, iTunes, Boxee, SageTV, Firefox, and more.

The Navigator is available now for $150.

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Posted 09/19/09 at 05:56:13 PM by Justin Kerr

In the small form factor graphics market, Nvidia’s Ion has been stealing the headlines lately, but it turns out VIA might be gearing up to give them a run for their money. Built on a new standard known as “Pico-ITXe”, the company has released their EPIA-P710, which claims to be capable of full 1080p video playback using nothing more than passive cooling. Of course we were skeptical at first, but they have finally backed up their claims by posting a short clip on YouTube showing the board in action.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this new part is how full featured it is given the size. It sports 3 USB 2.0 ports, has both SATA and IDE, as well as Gigabit Ethernet support. As you might expect, the current build is pared up with a VIA C7 1.0 GHz processor, but apparently this is still more than enough to handle anything the VX855 Media System Processor can’t handle video wise.

Hit the jump to view the demo video.

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