Envizions opened pre-orders for a hackable Android-based gaming console due to ship this fall for $249, and announced an “open” developer version for a $149 per year support fee. The Evo 2 Cloud Console runs a modified version of Android 2.2 on a Samsung 1.2GHz processor with 512MB of DDR2 RAM, and offers cloud storage and social networking integration, says the company.

(more…)

Intel will respond to falling netbook sales by slashing the price of its upcoming “Cedar Trail” Atoms, bringing the cost of complete devices below $200, reports say. The 1.86GHz Atom N2800 and 1.6GHz Atom N2600 will both sport dual cores, while TDPs will be 3.5 and 6.5 Watts, respectively.

(more…)

The Mint project released the final Linux Mint 11, which is based on Ubuntu 11.04, but skips over the Unity and GNOME 3 desktops in favor of GNOME 2.32.1. Linux Mint 11 offers UI updates to the Software Manager and Update Manager, while also speeding the latter, and supplies new default apps in LibreOffice, Banshee, and gThumb, says the project.

(more…)

Habey USA announced a compact, Mini-ITX-based signage PC based on a dual-core 1.8GHz Intel Atom D525 processor. The EPC-6563 offers up to 4GB DDR3 RAM, dual SATA bays, dual mini-PCI Express slots, plus gigabit Ethernet, USB, and HDMI connectivity, and is available on Amazon.com starting for just $200.

(more…)

Advantech announced a pair of panel PCs for HMI (human machine applications), touting enhanced display technology and lower pricing. The 12.1-inch PPC-L128T (R81) features an “anti-corrosion” display with LED backlighting and a 600-nit brightness rating, while the 6.5-inch PPC-L61T (R71) has a 700-nit brightness rating and an expanded 22 to 185 deg. F operating range, the company says.

(more…)

Verizon Wireless has begun selling a new LG smartphone for $250 plus contract, preloaded with the first-ever Netflix app for Android. The LG Revolution runs Android 2.2 on a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon, and offers a 4.3-inch display, 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution), HDMI. and both five-megapixel and 1.3-megapixel cameras, says the carrier.

(more…)

Skype has terminated its partnership with Digium, effectively killing Skype for Asterisk, which integrated Skype's VOIP service with the open source PBX/telephony platform. While some analysts see Microsoft's impending acquisition of Skype as the source of the schism, others argue that Skype has never been an open source supporter, and had already been backing away from the Asterisk product.

(more…)

The Motorola Droid X2 went on sale today in Verizon Wireless stores for $200 plus contract. Although the Android 2.2 smartphone adds an improved 4.3-inch qHD display and a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 to the original Droid X design, that's not enough to cut it considering today's high-end, 4G competition, especially when the performance boost appears to be surprisingly negligible, says this review.

(more…)

WonderMedia Technologies announced the first ARM11 model in its Prizm line of multimedia system on chips (SoCs), now featuring 1080p video playback. Aimed at entry-level Android and Windows CE tablets and available with a Prizm WM8710 Tablet Reference Design Kit, the Prizm WM8710 offers an ARM11 core clocked to 800Mhz, plus video, 3D graphics, and security engines, the company says.

(more…)

U.K. distributor Datasound Laboratories (DSL) announced a fanless box PC that accepts power ranging from 11 to 32VDC and can be mounted on DIN rails. The RoHS-compliant ACS-2210 has a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, CompactFlash and Mini PCI slots, and room for a 2.5-inch SATA hard disk drive, according to the company.

(more…)

On May 26, Google will introduce a widely anticipated near field communication (NFC) mobile payment system for Android 2.3x phones with Sprint, Mastercard, Citibank, and VeriFone Systems, say multiple reports. Meanwhile, Motorola says its Droid X, Droid 2, Droid 2 Global, and Droid Pro phones are all getting Android 2.3 (“Gingerbread”) updates this year.

(more…)

The Fedora Project announced the final release of Fedora 15 “Lovelock,” the first Linux distro to feature the new GNOME 3 desktop. Other Fedora 15 features include Linux 2.6.38, a dynamic firewall, the SystemD configuration utility, and new applications including LibreOffice and Firefox 4.

(more…)

A new startup says it will soon offer software allowing Windows devices to run Android software. The eponymous “BlueStacks” — to be offered first on a ViewSonic tablet — permits launching Android apps directly from the Windows desktop, the company says.

(more…)

Cray's latest supercomputer will run Cray's modified version of SUSE Linux on AMD's upcoming 16-core “Interlagos” Opteron chip and Nvidia's Tesla 20-Series GPU (graphics processing unit). The XK6 system should deliver up to 50 petaflops of performance when it ships later this year, claims Cray.

(more…)

Dell announced two fanless thin clients claimed to be the smallest OptiPlex systems yet. The Dell OptiPlex FX170 and OptiPlex FX130 thin clients offer a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 and Via Eden ULV processor respectively, and include 1GB of RAM, 1GB or 2GB of flash, a gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 2.0 ports, and a DVI-I port with optional dual display support, says the company.

(more…)