Technology Blog

Intel told us to expect cheap, thin, midsized laptops to start showing up in major laptop manufacturers’ catalogs this summer, and sure enough, Lenovo announced theirs one week later. Next up, according to Digitimes: Hewlett-Packard.

As per usual, Digitimes cites trusted sources in the “Taiwan manufacturing industry” who say that HP is gearing up to first incorporate Intel CULV processors into existing laptops, after which they’ll design their very own cut-rate ultrathin laptop, basically inline with the Aspire Timeline or Lenovo U350. They won’t ship until Q4 of this year though, by which time the field will be a little more crowded. [Digitimes—Shown above: HP Chameleon concept by Nikita Buyanov]

We’re so used to gadgets afraid to leave the safety of Japan or Korea to travel to our unforgiving west that it’s always a treat when it unexpectedly happens—especially a gadget like iriver’s P35 PMP.

The folks over at DAPReview spotted a notice on iriver America’s front page advertising the P35’s release this fall in the States. The P35 is a 4.3″ screened flash-based PMP with an 8/16GB capacity (expandable with MicroSDHC), impressive codec support, Wi-Fi, and a touch/tactile control combination like the company’s Spinn player. Looks pretty sweet overall, we just hope iriver can keep the prices out of the stratosphere when it’s released Stateside. [DAPReview]

Now that it’s summer, us cold-weather-city types want to spend every possible waking moment outdoors. But that separation from technology is sometimes just too hard to bear, which is where the Powerbrella comes in. Its solar panels keep your gadgets charged and ready to go.

The recyclable Powerbrella features solar panels on the top of the umbrella and outlets on the bottom to gather that beautiful sun and use it to power your gear. We’re not really sure how much juice it could really provide, but it should definitely be enough to power, say, an iPod speaker dock. It’s a great idea and one we’d totally use. [via Treehugger]

Lately, wild rumors have dominated the Zune conversation. But what about the regular old player? The one that actually exists? Look! Someone’s talking about it: behold the utterly believable, utterly boring Zune Upgrade Plan, as reported and/or theorized by ZuneScene.

According to their sources, starting in June, current Zune owners will be able to “upgrade” to a current unit at a discounted price. Discounted by how much? This much:

As you can see, these are pretty deep cuts, and, if true, would be an awfully nice gesture to loyal Zune fans. The upgrade plan, should it actually happen, will need to be requested on the Zune support line, though you shouldn’t call them to ask for it now any more than you should call their sales line to ask for a Zune Phone HD. [ZuneScene]

Nokia has quietly opened Ovi marketplace to the US and elsewhere, giving Symbian users the world over an app store to call their own. And from the looks of it, it’s a nice one.

The web interface is attractive easy to use, with a simple “Send to Mobile” button serving in lieu of a central transfer program like iTunes. App selection is fairly thin right now, with quick, easy repackaged content apps making up the bulk of the first wave, but there are some promising early signs, like the availability of mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and tethering apps, and somehow, there isn’t a single novelty fart app. Symbian users, let us know how it works in the comments. [Ovi—Thanks, Tim]