Brace yourself. The Magic Cube laser iPad keyboard will blow your virtual minds.

Magic Cube Laser iPad Keyboard

The Magic Cube, by Celluon, is exactly what its name implies. The Magic Cube laser iPad keyboard is a revolutionary design that allows you to project a virtual keyboard onto almost any surface. And yes, you can type with it.

The Magic Cube uses 3D Electronic Perception Technology, or EPT, to project a laser projection keyboard. EPT is a unique technology that allows a device to both recognize and interact with its environment. The Magic Cube, in this case, uses this EPT to follow the movements of your fingers and translates them as key strokes on your iOS devices (or other compatible devices).

This is basically how EPT works. When a user strikes a key on the projected laser keyboard, the invisible infrared layer is interrupted. The resultant UV reflections are then recognized by a built-in sensor in three dimensions (3D). The system then assigns the correct keyboard character to the device with which the Cube is integrated.

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 LG and Lenovo Promise to Make 2012 CES Ultra-exciting

 What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?

Not this week.

The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has officially begun in Sin City, and with 20,000 new products expected to make their debut at the show—including new models of the highly anticipated ultrabook—word is going to spread fast.

With global consumers expected to spend a record $1 trillion on consumer electronics in 2012, a record number of people are expected to attend the show. Last year, more than 2,700 exhibitors showcased their latest products on more than 1.6 million net square feet of exhibit space, with nearly 150,000 people in attendance. This year’s show will match or even surpass that number. Certainly, the CES has come a long way since it introduced the videocassette recorder to17,500 attendees in 1970!

And so have the products.  Many of this year’s attendees will be coming to see what’s been touted as the year’s biggest thing in computer devices:  the super thin, super lightweight ultrabook.  Developed by Intel, the ultrabook design marries the best of the notebook and the tablet. In order to be called an ultra book, these high performing devices must meet Intel’s stringent criteria:  weigh no more than 3.1 pounds, be no more than 0.71 inches thick, and provide five or more hours of battery life. They must also offer flash-based storage and Intel technology that makes for extra-fast boot times.

This week, CES 2012 will showcase about 50 ultrabook models.  Nearly every major manufacturer is set to unveil its version of this ultra computing device. Here’s a brief look at some of the highlights that will be showcased respectively by industry giants LG Electronics and Lenovo.

Lenovo

Lenovo is not new to the ultrabook game. The company recently introduced two new ultrabooks that will sit alongside Lenovo’s existing model, the ThinkPad X1.

The Thinkpad X1 Hybrid is the crown jewel of Lenovo’s ultrabook product line (and a royal price, starting at $1,599). As its “hybrid” title suggests, it’s a variation of the original. Like the original, the ThinkPad X1 Hybrid is available with three Intel Core CPU options (i3, i5 and i7), along with a 13.1-inch Gorilla Glass screen. The main area in which the Hybrid differs from the original is in the operating system; the new model features a supplementary Qualcomm dual-core CPU and up to 16GB of memory that runs a custom Linux-based operating system.  Lenovo says that in this mode, the battery will last 10 hours, compared to only five when using the traditional Windows/Intel platform.

On the other end is the ThinkPad T430u—at about $849, it’s known as the budget ultrabook. The T430u has a 14-inch screen but it’s still less than .8 inches thick. You can choose between Intel Core CPUs and optional Nvidia graphics…or opt for an SSD instead of a traditional disk drive. This ultrabook comes with a large battery with a stated life of six hours.

Lenovo’s newest offerings include the IdeaPad U310 and U41. Like all Ultrabooks, these models are characterized most notably by their super-thin, lightweight form factors. The U310 weighs in at 3.74 pounds and measures 0.7 of an inch thick, while the slightly larger U410 weighs in at 4.18 pounds and measures 0.83 of an inch thick.

LG Electronics

Front and centre for LG Electronics is what it calls the Super Ultrabook ^TM Series, a brand new lineup that includes the Z330 and the Z430.  Both models boast powerful performance and a sleek design not seen in ordinary ultrabooks.

Z330

At just 14.7 mm throughout, the Z330 14-inch notebook is the most compact product in the lineup. It’s also lighter than most competing ultrabooks in this class, weighing only 1.21 kg. Powered by LG’s Super Speed Boot technology, the Z330 completes booting in less than 10 seconds–about three times faster than other 13-inch notebooks on the market, and it can recover from standby mode in only two seconds.

Z430

The Z430 is a 14-inch notebook offering high performance in a sleek package. At 19.9 mm thick, and weighing 1.50 kgs, it’s the most compact 14-inch notebook on the market, yet it still boasts super fast 12 seconds booting time (thanks to Super Speed Boot) and large storage capacity of up to 500GB.

LG Electronics has not yet announced a price for either ultrabook.

New in 3-D

While the spotlight is most certainly on the ultrabooks, LG is also showcasing the latest in slim and powerful CINEMA 3D notebook technology.

P535

The P535 features both:  the notebook has a 24.1 mm chassis, weighs just 2.2 kg and has a 15.6-inch super-slim LED backlight display. In fact, it’s up to 24 per cent slimmer and 27 per cent lighter than the closest competing 15-inch 3D notebooks.

A540

LG’s A540 provides glasses-free 3D display panel, SRS premium sound effect and 4.1 channel 3-D sound—bringing consumers full on 3D entertainment in a powerful package with an easy on the eyes 15.6-inch Full HD LED backlight display.

LG V300

LG’s first-ever all-in-one PC features Film Patterned Retarder, 3D technology and an IPS display. Originally launched in 2011, the V300 offers the most vivid, immersive full HD 3D viewing experience on a 223-inch Full HD display without any eye fatigue. Unlike competing all-in-one PCs with a dual camera touch sensor, the V300 is equipped with a triple camera system that offers a multi-touch experience.

New 3D technology and what many are predicting to be the next big thing—the ultrabooks—are bright lights at this year’s CES, and kick off an exciting new year of technology.  Look for the lightest, fastest, the ultra-est devices becoming available to consumers very soon in 2012.

Ultrabooks:  Is this what everyone’s been waiting for?

They say you can never be too rich or too thin. It’s an adage that’s as true today as it ever was, particularly the thin part, and especially when you’re talking about computing devices.  Case in point:  the super thin, unbelievably light and high performing ultrabook—one of the year’s most talked about computer products and a much anticipated highlight of the Consumer Electronics Show starting tomorrow in Las Vegas.

 Matching the Wish List of Consumers

The ultrabook is the result of a seven-year effort by Intel to develop a computing device that delivered all the features consumers were asking for. Research showed that users wanted technology that allowed them to do all the things they could do on a larger device, but with the portability of a smaller laptop. And they wanted to do that easily and comfortably, with a keyboard they could really type on and a screen they could really see.

They also wanted a battery that lasted longer than the movie they were watching; quick response times; and security that ensured the safety of their private information.  And they wanted all of this wrapped tight in one lightweight, sleek and attractive package.

And in 2011, combining the best of the notebook and the tablet, the ultrabook was born.

Ultrabooks are what some are calling the PC industry’s answer to the Apple’s MacBook Air.  As for Intel, stringent criteria must be met before it will call any device an ultrabook.  It can weigh no more than 3.1 pounds, be no more than 0.71 inches thick, and provide five or more hours of battery life. It must also have flash-based storage, and incorporate Intel ® Rapid Start Technology for lightning fast boot times, providing users with ultra quick access to their data and applications.

The Next Big Thing?

Intel unveiled the ultrabook in May 2011. The company called it a game-changer, bringing together the power of laptops and the convenience and power efficiency of tablets. According to Intel, ultrabooks are expected to make up 40 per cent of the consumer-PC market by the end of 2012.

Some say this is a highly ambitious prediction—the company sold only one million ultrabooks worldwide last year. But the firm continues to hold fast to its ultrabook sales projections for 2015, which assume a 342 per cent annual growth rate.

Again, some say it’s a highly ambitious forecast, especially when you consider that the entire PC market is projected to grow less than five per cent. Time will tell if we see these predictions come to fruition.

See It Tomorrow

What you can be sure to see is a whole lot more excitement about the ultrabook; much of it starting tomorrow at the Consumer Electronics Show. While some companies’ devices have already hit the market, other companies, including Dell, are expected to introduce models in Las Vegas.  In fact, you can expect to see 30 to 50 ultrabook models from Dell, HP, Toshiba, Acer, Asus and Lenovo.  A few of these already have ultrabooks in their catalogue of shipping products.

The general consensus among most analysts is that the ultrabook category has some staying power. For the most part, consumers are hungry for what Intel is promising: an emerging breed of no-compromise computers that will increasingly combine best-in-class performance, improved responsiveness and battery life, and built-in thin, elegant, must-have mobile design.

But most also agree that the device’s success may be determined by its price tag–many of next year’s ultrabooks will be in the $1,000 to $1,200 range, perhaps limiting their appeal to mainstream, price-conscious consumers. However, it’s also possible that the price could eventually come down, particularly in light of Intel’s $300 million investment in a fund to help lower the cost of the components that go into making the device ultra thin and ultra lightweight.

Will the ultrabook be ultra-successful?  Stay tuned.

And tune in right here tomorrow for a closer look at some of the ultrabook models that will be featured at this year’s Consumer Electronic Show.

Toshiba’s Dynabook WT301/D Tablet Japan Bound

When computer scientist Alan Kay conceptualized the Dynabook back in 1968, he had a definite vision. It was a product that could be used by all, but one that was designed for a specific target audience. It was supposed to be function-oriented, easy-to-use, and above all, portable to the extreme. It had to be; his target audience was children. Skip forward a little more than three decades, and we come to a new device carrying that legendary Dynabook name. The modern-day device takes a somewhat similar approach. It is a device that can, in theory, be used by anyone, but it was designed for a specific target: Japanese enterprise customers.

Toshiba has announced the latest entry into the Windows 7 tablet market segment, a 10.1 inch slate powered by a yet unknown Atom processor. The slate packs in all the usual suspects. It comes with 2 gigabytes of RAM, a 64 gigabyte SSD, as well as front and rear cameras (the former, VGA, while the latter being of the 1.3 pixel variety). The device also sports USB and micro-HMDI ports and stereo speakers. It will support Wi-Fi b/g/n, and Toshiba expects to begin offering them to potential buyers by January 2012.

Cameras aside, the Dynabook offers decent specs, and Toshiba has wisely decided to target this somewhat chunky slate to its enterprise customers. However, running a standard build of Windows 7 on a target sporting less that 3 gigabyte has its problems—specifically, frame rate when moving between screens and when zooming and performing actions that have a lot of transitions. There was no word on whether there would be a customized skin running atop Windows 7, a move that would significantly improve visual performance. Depending on the processor used, general performance for enterprise-related tasks should be more than acceptable.

While the Windows tablet never really took off in the North American market, in Japan, they are very popular. Many manufacturers are coming out with new devices to supply demand for the Microsoft operating system. The device comes with Microsoft Office Home and Business pre-installed, and the processor is said to be an Atom that is “Next Generation.”

There was no mention of North American availability, and if other recent Windows 7s that have hit the Japanese market is any indication, it won’t be coming to Western shores anytime soon. With Windows 8 expected to be out in the not-too-distant future, there is a huge case to be made for the “wait and see” approach. If you simply cannot wait though and you live in or are planning to travel to the land of the rising sun soon, the Toshiba Dynabook WT301/D tablet may just be the one for you. Price unannounced, availability January 2012.