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Posts tagged brushed aluminum
Beats By Dre launches Executive noise-cancelling headphones, keeps ‘em dapper in aluminum for $300 (ears-on)
Oct 16th
Aside from announcing its entrance into the portable Bluetooth speaker category today, Beats Electronics has also launched its first new set of headphones post Monster. Aiming to cater to the jet-setting business crowd, the company is classing things up with its (finally released) $300 Executive noise-cancelling over-ears. The design of the headphones seems to be a blend of the Mixr and classic Studios, wrapped in brushed aluminum that’s complimented by dark gray leather pads and the requisite “b” on each earcup — something we . Requiring two AAA batteries for power, these active cans (read: they don’t work passively) are rated to last up to a healthy 25 hours. The Active noise-cancellation functionality is aided along by two microphones inside the headphones that automatically adjust the effect depending on your surroundings. That said, we’d be remiss not to note that ANC is always enabled, as it’s tethered to the power — you know, to help avoid making your head ring from the likes of jet engines and subway cars. A detachable 3.5mm cable is included, featuring a 3-button in-line remote and mic and a right angle jack on its end. While we’re fans of 90-degree jacks, we found that this one couldn’t plug into our cased iPhone 5 fully, rendering the remote useless. Lastly, you’ll notice from the photo above that the earcups on this pair thankfully fold flat, allowing for easier storage that its Solo and Studio siblings in a briefcase and the like.
We only had a paltry few minutes to try out the cans, but we came away with good vibes about them. To get this out of the way, the voicing from its drivers is totally colored and seems to have that typical Beats S-curve with boosted sub-bass and treble — a stark contrast from what you’d get with a passive set like the V-Moda M-100 cans. Although we listened in a quiet hotel room, the ANC circuitry did seem to dampen a significant chuck of the ambient noise around us — however, it did have a very noticeable hiss (more apparent than similar cans) from it that we’d likely become annoyed by without music. The earpads are very supple and moderately deep, and the inside of each earcup has some padding over the driver which should help you to evade the dreaded cartilage cramps. The headphones feel extremely sturdy and miles more robust the plasticky Studios, all while still retaining a light feel free of excessive clamping force on this editors head — very similar, actually, to what we enjoyed with the Parrot Zik. All in all, while these aren’t the first aluminum clad cans from the company, the Executive headphones really seem like they could stand to be a much better option than the Studios for overall value. Of course, we’ll let you know either way when we come to our conclusion. For now, the Executive headphones are on sale today from the Beats Electronics and various retailers if you’d like to try ‘em out for yourself.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables
Beats By Dre launches Executive noise-cancelling headphones, keeps ‘em dapper in aluminum for $300 (ears-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Frankfurt: 2012 Mercedes-Benz Viano Vision Pearl concept is a van for VVVIPs
Sep 15th
Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Minivan/Van, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury
Mercedes has given the dripping-in-luxury Concept Fascination treatment to an unlikely beneficiary: the Viano van. Calling the Viano Vision Pearl a “yacht on four wheels,” which was true for other reasons before it got luxed up, the concept has stitched leather flooring in front and a genuine hardword floor in back. Brushed aluminum accents highlight the Bang & Olufsen stereo and center console elements, and a muted pearl silver finish sets off the whole bloody exterior.
The brainchild of Volker Mornhinweg, the former head of AMG, this is one look at what the S-Class of Vianos could be. We’ll hope the next attempt includes an airbrushed sunset along its flanks and a rotating waterbed inside.
Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz Viano Vision Pearl concept is a van for VVVIPs
2012 Mercedes-Benz Viano Vision Pearl concept is a van for VVVIPs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Samsung Wave 3 hands-on (video)
Sep 1st
Had enough Samsung this morning? Well, how about a little more Samsung, then. Also on the company’s laundry list of new devices is the Wave, which was announced earlier this week. The Wave 3 is the highest end of the three new devices carrying that name, packing a zippy 1.4GHz processor, which seems to handle tasks with ease. Like most of the rest of the products introduced here at IFA, the screen is the centerpiece of the device, a brilliant 4-inch WVGA unit. Also like the rest of Samsung’s handsets, the hardware is really terrific on the Wave, glossy screen complimenting a brushed aluminum back.
The handset runs Bada 2.0, which means that we’re not likely to be seeing the thing in the US any time in the near future — Samsung has largely backed away from US support for the mobile operating system, though it promises to expand its selection of applications from third-party app developers. Also new on the software front is ChatON, a mobile messaging service which we were unfortunately unable to give a spin here in Berlin.
Click on past the break for a hands-on video.
Gallery: Samsung Wave 3 hands-on
Continue reading Samsung Wave 3 hands-on (video)
Samsung Wave 3 hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Samsung’s Series 7 Slate PC hands-on
Aug 31st
And you thought Samsung was finished showing off its Series 7 line of PCs. Joining the gaming rig and its smaller laptop brethren is a brand new Series 7 Slate running Windows 7. It sports a 340 nit, 1366 x 768 11.6-inch capacitive panel, Intel’s 1.6GHz Core i5 2467M CPU with integrated graphics and 4GB of RAM. On the front there’s a 2 megapixel camera and a light sensor, and around the back sits a 3 megapixel shooter. Connectivity comes courtesy of 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, plus there’s a USB 2.0 port, micro HDMI, and a SIM slot for surfing waves of 3G (no word on which carrier will send those swells of data, though). Each slate also comes with a capacitive stylus, but will also have Swype on board plus a custom software layer to make Windows a bit more finger-friendly.
It comes in four versions that differ in storage size and flavor of Windows, but all are .5 inches thin, weigh 2.03 pounds, and are swathed in brushed aluminum. There are 64GB SSD variants packing Home Premium for $1,099 or Pro for $1,199, while the 128GB models come with Home Premium, a dock and keyboard for $1349 or Pro sans the peripherals at the same price. They’re all scheduled for a late September release, so it won’t be long before you can pick one up. Looking to take the tablet plunge into Windows waters? Read on past the break for our impressions of Sammy’s new slate.
Gallery: Samsung Series 7 Slate PC
Continue reading Samsung’s Series 7 Slate PC hands-on
Samsung’s Series 7 Slate PC hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Western Digital’s My Book Studio jumps to 3TB, dons Mac-approved brushed aluminum garb
Jul 8th
Hard to say how long WD’s going to keep its My Book line a-churnin’, but when you’ve got a good thing going…. The outfit has just announced a gently refreshed version of its My Book Studio, now available in capacities reaching 3TB and sporting a flashy new exterior that should blend right into your Mac Pro + Cinema Display setup. Much like the G-Force drives of yesteryear, these new models are equipped with a brushed aluminum casing and rely on Western Digital’s Caviar Green HDDs to handle the ints and outs. You’ll also find FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interfaces, meaning that Thunderbolt aficionados should probably be turning their nose up right about now. The new guys are available at “select retailers and distributors” as we speak, with pricing set at $149.99 (1TB), $199.99 (2TB) and $249.99 (3TB).
Western Digital’s My Book Studio jumps to 3TB, dons Mac-approved brushed aluminum garb originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Porsche Designs sleek aluminum hard drives for LaCie
Jun 30th
Filed under: Technology, Porsche, Design/Style
LaCie Porsche Design P’9220 and P’9230 hard drives – Click above for high-res image gallery
Porsche is known for some of the sleekest driving machines on the market. LaCie, meanwhile, makes some of the slickest hard drives. Where they intersect is the latest range of external storage devices, penned by Porsche Design for LaCie.
Collaboration between the two companies dates back to 2003, and the new LaCie Porsche Design mobile and desktop hard drives feature minimalist brushed aluminum cases that would instantly look at home next to your Acer Ferrari or Asus Lamborghini laptops for the ultimate in automotive-inspired computer hardware.
The devices are available in sizes ranging from 500 gigabytes all the way up 2 terabytes with prices starting at $104.99. Follow the jump for more details in the press release and scope out the designs in the high-res image gallery.
Continue reading Porsche Designs sleek aluminum hard drives for LaCie
Porsche Designs sleek aluminum hard drives for LaCie originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Dell Streak Pro Honeycomb tablet pictured, likely to be with us in June
May 18th
Android Honeycomb OS, 10-inch screen size with 1280 x 800 resolution, and NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 (T20) chip on the inside. If those specs sound familiar, it’s because most manufacturers already have a tablet just like Dell’s upcoming Streak Pro. This slate from Round Rock got us a little hot under the collar recently, when it appeared it would ship with the T25 Tegra 2 silicon — which runs at 1.2GHz and offers 3D support — but nope, it’s same old, same old from Michael and company. Still, the Streak Pro will apparently come will a brushed aluminum back, 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB storage options, dual mics, dual cameras (2 megapixel on the front, 5 megapixel ’round back), and a choice of four colors: blue, pink, black, and red. If that’s not enough customization for you, Dell’s also adding its Stage UI atop Android, while support for AT&T’s LTE network is also said to be under consideration. You can see some of the new tablet’s accessories at the source link below, which also advises us to expect the Streak to go Pro in June, as previously anticipated.
Dell Streak Pro Honeycomb tablet pictured, likely to be with us in June originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 May 2011 03:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HP x2301 Micro Thin monitor makes other displays feel bloated, insecure
May 16th
Those new desktops HP unveiled today are little more than humming foot rests without a monitor, so the company also trotted out the x2301 Micro Thin — a 23-inch, LED-backlit, 1080p display that’s an absolutely anorexic 9.8mm (0.39 inches) thick. Most of the important internals have been shoved into the blue-tinted base to keep the brushed aluminum and glossy black screen as thin as possible. It’s not exactly a high-end model, but the 3ms response time and 8,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio are nothing to sniff at. The x2301 is expected to ship on June 10th for $280, just after its slightly cheaper (and chubbier) cousin, the Elite L2201x. Fashionistas, the line starts right around the bend.
Gallery: HP x2301 Micro Thin Monitor
HP x2301 Micro Thin monitor makes other displays feel bloated, insecure originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 16:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LG P430 and P530 Blade laptops bedazzle with slim bezels, aluminum bodies, and Core i7
May 2nd
We heard of a bezel-hating LG Shuriken display sneaking its way onto Acer laptops recently, but the Korean company has wisely opted to debut that cutting-edge technology in its own portable computers first. The 14-inch P430 and 15.6-inch P530 mark the start of its new Blade series of laptops, which are the result of some obsessive slimming work at the LG labs — display thickness is 4.5mm and 4.7mm, respectively, while the bezel on the 14-inch model is so narrow as to fit its screen within the dimensions of a traditional 13.3-inch laptop. Weight, at 1.94kg on the P430 and 2.2kg on P530, is also said to be on par with machines offering significantly smaller screens, but that’s not at the sacrifice of construction materials as brushed aluminum is used to strengthen LG’s new slimsters. A Core i7 CPU and GeForce GT520M GPU will provide the internal firepower, though the rest of the internal specs are as yet unannounced. The P430 will launch in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America at the end of May, to be followed by the P530 in the following month.
LG P430 and P530 Blade laptops bedazzle with slim bezels, aluminum bodies, and Core i7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 00:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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LG’s P430 and P530 Blade laptops set out to conquer the world with slim bezels, aluminum bodies, and Core i7
May 2nd
We heard of a bezel-hating LG Shuriken display sneaking its way onto Acer laptops recently, but the Korean company has wisely opted to debut that cutting-edge technology in its own portable computers first. The 14-inch P430 and 15.6-inch P530 mark the start of its new Blade series of laptops, which are the result of some obsessive slimming work at the LG labs — display thickness is 4.5mm and 4.7mm, respectively, while the bezel on the 14-inch model is so narrow as to fit its screen within the dimensions of a traditional 13.3-inch laptop. Weight, at 1.94kg on the P430 and 2.2kg on P530, is also said to be on par with machines offering significantly smaller screens, but that’s not at the sacrifice of construction materials as brushed aluminum is used to strengthen LG’s new slimsters. A Core i7 CPU and GeForce GT520M GPU will provide the internal firepower, though the rest of the internal specs are as yet unannounced. The P430 will launch at the end of May, to be followed by the P530 in the following month.
LG’s P430 and P530 Blade laptops set out to conquer the world with slim bezels, aluminum bodies, and Core i7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 00:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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