Panasonic-Toyota F1 team use ToughBooks at starting line

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. In the F1 race, the extreme conditions on the track and at the pit will probably kill a standard consumer laptop. As such, the fully rugged ToughBook CF-19 laptops are issued by Panasonic to perform the car startup as well as on-track analysis. The reason this model is chosen was due to its exceptional hardiness as well as the fact that the touchscreen can be used with gloves. The long battery life doesn't hurt, either.



From September 6 to 20, Panasonic held a contest which involved children aged seven to 12 shooting video clips on why they want to watch the F1 race. The winner will receive a pair of Paddock Club tickets for race day. During a media conference in the Singapore Panasonic office to announce the winners, we took the opportunity to ask the Japanese manufacturer two pressing questions. For one, unlike Lenovo which has an array of hardware from servers to laptops, Panasonic's PCs are limited to semi-rugged and fully rugged ToughBooks. So, how does the team get the firepower it needs for intensive work like simulation and post-race analysis. Turns out these backend processes are handled by another sponsor, EMC². This company specializes in creating IT infrastructure for enterprises by providing hardware and software for corporate clients. As there was no EMC² representative at the event, we were unable to obtain an answer as to which brand of servers and desktops are used by the F1 team.

Then there is a question of security.
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Dell sees the light...emitting diode

Dell announced on Wednesday that within 12 months, all displays in its new laptops will be light-emitting diode (LED)-based.

Dell says that as of December 15, two-thirds of its Latitude E-Family laptops, as well as its Precision line, will be shipped with mercury-free LED backlighting as standard.

LED backlights are known to be mercury-free and very recyclable. Compared to cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) technology, which most LCD displays use today, LED displays are much more energy efficient. Dell says that its 15-inch LED displays consume an average of 43 percent less power at maximum brightness.

Dell estimates that, overall, this could save consumers approximately US$20 million and 220 million kilowatt-hours in 2010 and 2011 combined, the equivalent of the annual CO2 emissions of more than 10,000 homes' energy use. This figure was based on Dell's internal analysis using US EPA carbon-conversion calculators.
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ASUS Bamboo notebook to hit Asia soon

It was a concept model before, but now the eco-friendly ASUS Bamboo series will actually be hitting store shelves soon, albeit in limited quantities. however, its claim to eco fame doesn't simply lie in the fact that it's possibly the first laptop to be clad in bamboo.

To thrust the environmental message forward, the Bamboo series claims to break new ground by being green in every stage of its lifecycle. During production, ASUS adheres to RoHS (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directives that minimize the impact on the environment. During use the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine throttles clock cycles to reduce the power required to complete tasks. At the end of its life, the bamboo body reduces the strain on disposal as it's biodegradeable.

There are two models available, a 1.57kg 12.1-inch laptop and a 1.25kg 11.1-inch edition. Both are based on the latest Centrino 2 platform. Prices, availability and exact specifications are not available at this time, but Singapore and other Asia markets should be getting the first units sometime in early November.

Panasonic shows off Atom-based medical tablet

During the announcement of the new ToughBook notebooks, Panasonic also took the opportunity to show off one of its upcoming Intel Atom-based tablets. This white unit is meant for use in the medical field and does not even have a model name yet. Aside from a touchscreen display, it has features like RFID and a fingerprint sensor built in. You probably won't see this ToughBook in stores anywhere but don't be surprised if you see a nurse keying in your particulars and medical history on something like this in the future. The company will officially announce this product later in November.

Details of Sony VAIO TT leaked

The Sony VAIO T series (pictured) gave us a glimpse of exceptional mobility even before Netbooks were a glimmer in Intel's eyes. With a sleek body and excellent battery life, this 11.1-inch laptop targets frequent business travelers willing to pay a premium for style and portability.



The latest iteration, the VAIO TT, is more than just a platform update. According to Sony US, there will be two models available. The cheaper edition will come in three color options: Champagne gold, crimson red and silk black with the following specifications.

Core 2 Duo SU9300 1.2GHz processor

Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics engine

11.1-inch 1,366 x 768-pixel LED display

2GB RAM

160GB harddisk

DVD writer

802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth

Windows Vista Home Premium (gold and red)/Vista Business Edition (black)

The premium black carbon-fiber model not only bumps up the Core 2 Duo processor to an SU9400 edition (1.4GHz) with 4GB of RAM, it is also equipped with dual 128GB solid-state drives (giving a total of 256GB capacity) and a Blu-ray writer. Both features have not been seen in any laptop in this category to date. Though currently only Sony US has announced the new range, we expect the VAIO TT to start popping up in Asia in the very near future.

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