This memorably titled ultrabook caused quite a stir at this year’s CES apparently, and given it’s innovate bendy qualities, it’s no surprise. It may open as a normal notebook but in featuring a 360 degrees dual-hinged design the IdeaPad Yoga can be flipped 360 degrees backwards and be transformed into a tablet!

Once in tablet mode users have full control of a 13.1-inch 1600 x 900 touch screen, which apparently allows 10-point capacity touch. Asides ‘bending’ in the same way a yoga instructor bends her – or his – body bewilderingly effortlessly, to transform from being a bog-standard ultrabook into a flat tablet, Lenovo’s Yoga can also be positioned in ‘tent’ mode, thus creating a handy viewing stand.

This multiple-guised ultrabook is powered by Intel Core processor, supports up to 8GB of RAM, and up to a 256GB SSD and has been designed to take full advantage of Windows 8. But what I personally like the sound of is that the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga has an eight hour battery life.

Despite being incredibly thin, measuring at a mere 16.9 mm depth, those lucky tech journalists who have been lucky enough to have had a hands on peep at the IdeaPad Yoga assure us that its fully rotating hinge feels strong and robust.

While the online tech-world is unable to share its enthusiasm towards Lenovo’s new convertible ultra-innovative ultrabook – given that almost every tech site from Algeria to America has dedicated a feature about it – two criticisms about this yoga-sculpted device have surfaced. Firstly that as the screen doesn’t fold over the keyboard, keys may get scuffed when the machine in lay down and secondly that the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga isn’t expected to be launched until later this year!

[Source: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga: A novel twist]

be.ez – a Parisian manufacturer whose raison d’être seems to be “sleek and stylish” have produced a new range of cases for laptops and tablets – the Kingfisher.

I got to try out a LE reporter Kingfisher for the 11″ MacBook Air and have to confess I felt underdressed every time I put it on. The LE reporter Kingfisher features a water resistant waxed canvas and 210D nylon colour lining. It’s pretty hard to wear it and not feel like a New York academic or character in HBO’s recently cancelled Bored to Death, it’s that snazzy of a bag.

The inner carrying compartment is raised and padded and provides ample protection from bumps and knocks when carrying or if dropped. The front of the LE reporter’s main compartment contains two additional webbings, as well as two slip pockets on the inside for smaller items, such as pens, keys or cables, to ensure belongings are securely organised at all times.

A velcro-secured flap with a stylish yellow zipped pocket on the front allows for fast access to smaller items. The full-size zipped pocket on the back of the bag allows for storage of a mobile phone, mp3 or thin paperback book – I stuggled to get most hardcovers comfortably in there without making horrible bulges.

The be.ez LE reporter Kingfisher for MacBook Pro 13” and 15” retails from £59.99 and the LA robe Club for MacBook Pro 13” and 15” is available from £24.99.

For stockist details, visit http://www.be-ez.com/where.html

[Source: LE reporter Kingfisher 11″ review]

When you first buy a laptop, notebook or PC, it is great how fast they run and how instantaneous they seem to perform. Six months, thousands of pages browsed on the internet and hundreds of files, photos and songs uploaded down the line, your superfast, ultra-responsive beloved laptop is beginning to slow down.

Sounds familiar? This is where Seagate’s new Momentus XT may step in, the second generation of the company’s solid state hybrid drives, which, according to Seagate, will be the fastest drive the company has ever produced for personal computers.

With a simple drive upgrade, users can almost immediately boost the boot-up speed and over-all performance of their PC. In fact, so effective is the Momentus XT promising to be, that seven original equipment manufacturers are allegedly gearing up to ship laptops powered by Momentus XT, although which seven manufacturers remain undisclosed.

Not only is this second-gen of Seagate’s solid state hybrid drives almost 70 percent faster than previous Momentus drive versions and up to three times faster than a traditional hard disk, but it also provides 750GB of storage capacity.

For anyone reading this who likes to understand the reasons to why a simple drive upgrade can make their laptop run significantly more efficient before you commit to ‘upgrading’, then I will endeavour to enlighten you.

Basically – no there’s nothing basic about this technology – the Momentus XT is powered by Seagate’s Adaptive Memory and FAST Factor technologies. Whilst FAST Factor technology blends the strengths of SSDs and hard disk drives for a faster running computer, Adaptive Memory Technology effectively identifies data usage patterns and subsequently moves the most frequently retrieved information to solid state access for faster access – I warned you there is nothing basic about this technology.

A fast running laptop that has exceeded its six-month ultra-fast and responsive time span! Sounds too good to be true? Well things that sound too good to be true usually are too good to be true and the major drawback of the Momentus XT it seems is its price – $245, pretty hefty hey?

[Source: Seagate’s Momentus XT: Giving laptops a longer ultra-fast lifeline]

The XPS 14z delivers a strong performance, and it’s design is pretty darn hot as well. Despite it’s sleek and intelligent looks, passionate professionals need not worry because the model still packs in all of the energy one would need for a busy and hectic office day before time spent chillaxing (yeah, we think it’s a good word) in the evenin’ with this system’s HD screen to watch movies or video. Style as well as substance, good eh? It’s got pretty much everything you could possible want; we think. And erm, we should know.

This one is also available with second-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, an HD WLED display for entertainment purposes, a slot-load optical drive and NVIDIA graphics option along with all the usual suspects ready to rock your tech-starved existence: the backlit, spill-resistant Chiclet keyboard and built-in 1.3MP HD webcam with dual array digital microphones and stereo speakers – ever handy!

“The XPS 14z delivers what professionals want – raw power paired with a stunning, sophisticated design that signals ‘I’ve arrived’,” says Steve Felice, president of Dell’s Consumer and Small/Medium Business group. “The XPS 14z is specifically engineered to help our customers do more in their personal and professional lives – and it advances our industry-leading vision for thin-and-powerful solutions that deliver performance without compromise.”

The 14-inch HD display easily fits into a 13-inch laptop form factor – while offering 10 per cent more viewing area than a 13.3-inch display. It will be easy to manage for most people, weighing in at 4.36 pounds, sliding through at less than an inch thin with an anodised-aluminium finish, this thing is about as sophisticated as it’s marketed to be, and with up to six hours, 49 minutes of battery life, it will see that you stay safely “in the loop” with your commitments at work, home and abroad from wherever you are without causing stress.

Sam Burd, vice president of Dell’s Consumer and Small/Medium Business product group says: “With the XPS 14z, our challenge was to build a laptop that provided customers the performance and portability that they need, with the design and finish they desire.”

This light beast also comes with the Dell Stage user interface, which offers one-click access to content including music, photos and video – swish! Meanwhile, SyncUP powered by Nero can keep content and personal information synced with other Stage-enabled Dell PCs and mobile devices within a home wi-fi network.

The XPS 14z laptop will be available November 15 in the United Kingdom priced from £799 through www.dell.co.uk.

[Source: Dell’s XPS 14z laptop: Professionally snazzy]

I suspect that the Velo laptop bag will be a popular choice of laptop carriers among cyclists, as being made from a durable, water-resistant nylon, the bag is ultra-lightweight, will keep its contents dry in a downpour and is unlikely to rip after the first journey to work. Possessing multiple organiser pockets, the Velo enables for quick and easy access for all of life’s essential items, such as an iPhone, keys, coins, credit cards, and, of course, a laptop. Although having said this, I often find that carriers that feature a multitude of pockets can end up leaving you more infuriated than ever. The amount of times that I have cursed my faux Prada handbag for its mass of pockets as I am unable to locate my ringing phone and by the time I have found it, the answering machine has kicked in!

Jibes aside, the Velo laptop bag certainly looks stylish and may prove to be a provident deterrent to any laptop thieves that may be luring. And with the growing number of people trading the Tube or the car for the bike to get to work, the STM Velo could be a common and convenient accessory to carry all those office essentials to work.

STM’s Velo fits most 13” and 15” laptops and will set you back £69.95.

[Source: STM Velo Laptop Shoulder Bag: The ultimate laptop thief deterrent!]

The Switch is a classic “best of both worlds” proposition for those of you who can’t decide between a back pack or a shoulder bag. I solved this dilemma by having one of each but the Switch offers a less profligate solution – a laptop bag that can be a backpack or shoulder bag. Like all STM bags, the Switch has a high density padded laptop compartment to keep all your electronic valuables safe and snug. Fitted with both shoulder and backpack straps, there are pockets that allow you to conceal the transition.

Of course laptops are an old man’s game and all the cool young kids are carting around tablets (or so I’m told). One of the many benefits of tablet computing is the reduced bulk it offers over a traditional laptop and the STM Stash emboides this with it’s snug form and grab-bag-esque qualities. Aside from the main compartment it features a front zippered organiser panel for pens, keys, headphones and such and then a back slip pocket that’s ideal for notes.

For more info on either bag head to stmbags.com.au/

[Source: STM Switch and Stash tablet bags]

If you have an Apple machine from late 2008 (when the MacBooks got a shade slimmer) onwards, you’ll be able to use a Henge Dock on either your 13, 15 or 17″ MacBook.

The dock itself comes in four incarnations. The entry-level is compatible with the old plastic models, while there are three more versions for the Macbook/Pro unibody at 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch models.

Unfortunately, none of the docks are compatible with each other, so you’ll need to buy a new one for each model should you choose to update.

The Henge Dock is basically a finely sculpted piece of plastic that snuggly holds your MacBook closed and upright, allowing air to flow around the machine and keep it cool for intense processes.

It comes with a series of holes which you can pin cables to – such as your Macbook charger, a mini DVI-out or any other post you’ll find on the left-hand side of the laptop.

With these cables plugged in (including USB extensions), you can then use your MacBook as desktop system and easily pull it out when you need to get moving – it’s pretty simple and works well.

Once connected, your laptop feels snug and secure – there’s no need to worry about it accidentally toppling over.

The problem we found, however, is that the white-plastic looks a bit tacky compared with the smooth aluminium finish of the Apple products.

Our other issue is the price – it’s not the cheapest – £59 – for the 13″ version, and if you’ve already forked out for 17″ MacBook Pro, you’ll be looking at £79. Ouch.

[Source: Henge Docks for MacBooks review]

Using Intel’s second generation Intel® core processor for Ultrabook and boasting up to six gig of DDR3 RAM, the Portégé Z830 and the Satellite Z830, weigh in at a mere 1.12kg and at only 15.9mm thick, are about twenty percent lighter and forty percent thinner than their previous versions. The 1,366 x 768 high definition display uses non reflective LED backlighting whilst the audio packs a punch via a Dolby advanced audio system.

Toshiba also claims a longer battery life through improved power saving and faster disk performance from the 128gig solid state drive. Perhaps more importantly for the portable traveller, the entire casing has been remodelled around a magnesium alloy casing reinforced with an enhanced “honeycomb rib” design to provide some decent resistance to drops and shocks whilst the fluid resistant keyboard will protect it from some on the go hot coffee spillage. It can absorb something in the region of 30 mls of liquid allowing you up to three minutes to desperately shut down the computer as fast as possible. (phew).

Not to be outdone on connectivity, the Z830 series has a versatile set of interfaces including Bluetooth, WLAN, Mobile Broadband, VGA, HDMI and several USB ports including a 3.0.

The Portégé Z830 and Satellite Z830 will be available in Europe during this autumn.

[Source: Toshiba unveils world’s lightest laptop; Z830 series Ultrabook]

To power the full-sized Windows 7 operating system on the Slate, you’ll find a full-sized Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM and a 64GB SSD HD. While we’re used to seeing flash memory on other tablets, the huge 4GB RAM and Core i5 mean that this tablet is packing some serious heat. And with a full-sized processor, it’ll be generating a lot of heat, too.

While the processor is great for a tablet, the 4GB RAM is essential for Windows 7 operation – anything else might cause the machine to stutter – especially with Samsung’s touch interface on top.

The interface lets you poke around with your fingers to control the mouse-friendly operating system, but it’s really no match for a native touchscreen interface like Android or iOS. Samsung have tried to deal with fiddly display elements by bundling a capacitive touch pen – which is also cool for drawing – but the un-finger-friendly Windows 7 will be a frequent frustration.

On the plus side, Windows 7 means the Slate can run all the important programs a business could need, as well as support a huge array of file types and bespoke software. It’s basically a portable PC, so it’s open to whatever software you throw at it.

The truly miraculous thing about the Slate is not the interface, though, but how the laptop-standard specifications fit inside the thing. The 11.6” screen doesn’t create the biggest footprint for the components to sit in, especially considering that the device is only 12.9mm thick and weighs a paltry 0.8kg.

You’ll find other tablet staples included, such as Bluetooth for keyboards and mice, a 2MP front and 3MP rear camera and wifi, plus some additional goodies: there’s a full-sized USB port, WiMax and HSPA connections.

Buyers can also pick up the docking station (with video-out) to let you use the Slate as an efficient portable computer – making the device a great purchase for road-warriors.

We should also note the Samsung FastStart technology that allows the Slate PC Series 7 to wake up in 2 seconds and boot from cold in 15. Impressive.

Unfortunately, it’s all a bit expensive – retailing for around £999.

[Source: Samsung Slate PC Series-7: Crazy name, impressive spec]

We assume that it is its ultra-thin and lightweight design and excellent battery life that makes it the perfect lecture theatre companion. It certainly promises to look the part in any style-conscious student’s study attire, as being available in standard Diamond Black or optical Fire Red LCD back and matching palm rest with a full-size Chiclet-style keyboard, certainly won’t evolve students’ reputations as being pitifully poor and living on pot noodles and pasta – Although with the obscenely high tuition fees soon to be enforced, we very much doubt that the Inspiron 14z will be a regular feature of the lecture theatre.

Internally, the Dell Inspiron 14x comes equipped with Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, high-performance on-processor graphics enabling for long battery life, and is available with ultra-fast Intel Core i processors.

Whether watching a movie or playing your favourite tunes, with an internal tray-load DVD combo for playing and recording DVDs and CDs, Dell’s latest Inspiron laptop promises to deliver quality and solid family entertainment.

Like all Dell Inspiron laptops, the 14x possesses the Dell Stage user interface, meaning users can access their favourite content, including video, music and photo libraries, in just one click, and with SyncUP powered by Nerco, you can keep content and personal information synched with other Stage-enabled Dell PCs and mobile devices within your home Wi-Fi network.

No details about the price of the Inspiron 14x have yet to be released, although being this ‘sleek, stylish and powerful’, we reckon Dell’s strategy on appealing as a great note taker in class will be falling upon deaf ears.

[Source: Dell Inspiron 14x: The perfect companion for the lecture theatre?]