The iPad 2 is reported to be selling quite good throughout the States and beyond, but as time goes by and the popularity rise steadily, more and more countries are looking to be part of the overwhelming sales growth. As for that matter, Apple has additionally confirmed a WiFi iPad 2 release in Japan today, April 28, and in 11 more countries tomorrow, including Hong Kong, India, Israel, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and UAE, then in China on May 6. And while local prices are yet to be determined, suggested retail pricing is on par with the US market, at $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model and $699 for the 64GB model. As for the iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G connectivity, prices are matching US MSRPs and said to be at $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB model and $829 for the 64GB model. Full PR after the break.

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NEC has officially unveiled LifeTouch Note, a new 7-inch netbook device, based on Google’s android 2.2 platform on board. The Note, which boasts a 800 x 480 resistive touchscreen with a 2 megapixels webcam on front, offers a powerful Tegra 2 chipset, along with up to 8GB of memory, optional 3G connectivity, WiFi, GPS navigation feature, SD card reader and an SDHC slot. We still don’t know when exactly this new NEC Froyo netbook will be out in Japan. However, we do know that it would go for ¥45,000 (about $540) or somewhere around. Hit the jump to watch the video demo.

[via Akihabara News]

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There is definitely a lot of momentum behind Android tablets these days, and Onkyo is one company seeking to take advantage of the burgeoning blitz. From what we know, their latest revelation, TA117 series, which has no price tag or availability details to share at this point, comprises of two models, namely TA117C3 and TA117C1, that will pack a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 display, NVIDIA’s Tegra 250 chip, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, HDMI output, two USB 2.0 ports, and microSD card slot. And while the C1 is claimed to pack 512MB of RAM along with 8GB of storage, its sibling, the C3 flavor, features 1GB of memory, paired with 16GB of NAND, on board. Android Froyo is the dominant OS platform in both versions, but word on the street is that we’re likely to see a Windows 7 support. Stay tuned for even more.

[via Akihabara News]

At this point it’s really hard to tell which is more accurate to describe Sharp’s new Galapagos lineup:  an e-reader, a tablet or maybe just an oversized phone (without a 3G connection, of course). One way or another, it’s going to cost us way too much – and to be even more specific, ¥39,800 ($475) and ¥54,800 ($655), for each of the two following versions that the Japanese corp is offering us – a 5.5-inch 1024 x 600 slate and a 10.8-inch 1366 x 800 tablet. And while we cannot be sure exactly what to expect or when we might actually see them out, this year or in the next one, there’s something inside us that tells us the story, which in Sharp’s case is, that we probably won’t see them live on our side of the pond.

Update1: Save the date: Friday, December 10 is when the Galapagos series will be officially released for trendy and most fashionable Japs.

Update2: According to a Mainichi Daily News report, Sharp is planning a big and techy refresh for its upcoming US Galapagos lineup. And when we say “refresh” we mean that the company is said to to include a few things that you probably won’t be able to find inside the Japanese models, such as 3G connectivity, global EPUB content format, and even a proprietary e-book store. Official release date is scheduled for early 2011, but chances are that we’ll find out about it next week at the CES show.

[Sharp]

OH! What’s this, another Windows 7 slate? Apparently yes – not one, but three different flavors. The manufacturing company in this case is Onkyo, and the hardware that’s being offered is pretty much the same across the entire line of new Japanese tablets. Screen sizes are at 11.6-inch and 10.1-inch, both featuring capacitive touchscreen displays, and while the TW317A5 and TW217A5 versions get 32GB SSD, the TW117A4 goes traditionally with a 160GB HDD of storage. The software, as mentioned earlier, is a Windows 7 Premium and the inner chipset on board appears to be an Intel atom N450 processor. Pricing and availability details are still not available, but you can be sure that we’ll let you know as soon as we do.

[Akihabara]

Back in June the possible existence of Toshiba’s revolutionary Libretto W100 smartbook was still wobbling between a viable prototype and a pleasureful dream. But today, couple months later, this 7-inch dual-screen wonder officially goes live in US market and turns available for pre-order either in silver or black hues with two to three weeks shipping date on Amazon.com. It’s not cheap, as you may already know, in fact it would actually cost you $1,099.99 buckaroos. In exchange for this staggering price you will get yourself a Pentium U5400 processor, running Windows 7 Home Premium platform inside, along 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 62GB SSD, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, integrated Intel HD card for the graphics and a very impressive 8-cell battery pack that would probably last for a long long time. Checkout the PR video after the break or hit the links to get your very own device.

Update1: And looks like Toshiba’s dual-screen Libretto W100 is officially out of stock on Amazon, 48 hours after getting listed online, priced at $1,100 – very impressive, isn’t it? Conics.com might have some few pieces available, so hurry up before they’re gone.

Update2: We’ve added yet another video that will walk you through Liberto W100 beautiful UI platform (via Pocketables).

[Toshiba]

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So there’s not really much to say about NEC and its new seven-inch LifeTouch Android tablet, besides the fact it boasts an ARM Cortex A8 processor, runs an Android 2.1 OS under the lid and scheduled for release in Japan somewhere around October. Apparently, the new slate supports both landscape and portrait view (in case you’d like to read some e-books)  and said to arrive fully customized, mainly for enterprise purposes. Design wise…well, you’ll have to decide for yourselves on this one. At the mean time, make sure you check out the video after the break.

[via Crunchgear]

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Well folks, it’s May 28th,  and you all probably know what it means, don’t you?  For those who still haven’t heard, then it’s a good time to learn that Apple’s iPad is finally getting official internationally. The magical wonder will initially debut in 9 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK (which apparently had their early launch yesterday), while Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore will get their stocks somewhere in July. If you’ve already got yourself an iPad, please make sure you checkout our Free iPad game post.

The world splits to two: from one hand, companies that produce slates and from the other, those who prefer calling them tablets – and then, there’s the MID which is kind of a hybrid creation of both species. I mean, just think about it for a second, why do we need a MID when “tablet” or “slate” will probably do good, eh? This way or another, Sharp’s new MID, NetWalker PC-T1, is coming our way this May, packing a 5-inch display that boasts netbooks’ 1024 x 600 screen resolution (Crazy!). Besides that, for a whopping ¥47,000 (about $510) price tag, you’ll get a Freescale i.MX515 processor, paired with one single USB port, MicroSD card slot, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g WiFi, and up to 6-hour of battery support. Software wise, it would run Ubuntu 9.04 as the OS, tucked with Anglo-Japanese dictionary and an e-book reader that would apparently have access to Sharp’s e-bookstore which includes over 25,000 titles to download. See you next month!

[Sharp]

The King of Pop is dead, but his legacy is live N kickin’, and it seems like it’d get even bigger as time goes by. One company that has recognized Jakson’s extremely attractive merchandising potential is Sony Japan that recently announced it would release a limited edition This is it! package of the king that suppose to include a slim PS3 console, boasting a 120GB storage and a nifty Blu-ray drive. This special pack – a result of the collaboration between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment Japan – is set to go live on January 27, either in Black or White colors, priced at ¥33,500 (about $361), nothing a fan can’t afford these days.

[via SCEJ]

It’s small, black (with golden touch) and looks like Hello Kitty, have you guessed? Well, that wasn’t hard, was it? I guess not, especially when it comes from a company – AKA iRiver – that already launched Mickey Mouse players to the pond. This time it’s a cat, THE cat, if you take Garfield out of the equation. The DAP itself offers either 2GB or 4GB storage capacities at your choice, along a USB cable and color matched ear buds bundled inside. Japan release is set for December 18, just before the holidays, with prices around ¥7,980 ($90). Miao

[via Akihabaranews]

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Android is the key word in here, no doubt, but the tablet issue is no less important, and as you can see, we see a lot of them lately, better with an Android OS loaded onboard (it’s good for the marketing). And Japanese company, Hikari, is no different in that scene, realizing it should implement Google’s magical platform with its new iFrame tablet, which boasts (besides that Android power) a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen display (that can be used as a photo frame) along with an SD slot expansion, WiFi connection, a built in speaker and multiple widgets like weather, calendar, news and recipes on top. Price range is claimed to be at $220 and $330 when this thing comes out in 2010. Until then, you can watch the video after the break.

Update: The guys at Akihabara news have managed to put their hands on one of those Android-based iFrame Tablets, which suppose to go live in Japan somewhere around March 2010. Hit this link to catch the action.

[via CrunchGear]

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For many, the 1005HA is probably considered as one of the best netbooks available around, but that as a fact didn’t seem to stop Asus from launching another. The latest, recently emerged in Japan, was tagged as a “business edition” flavor, which frankly, has nothing exceptional inside. In any case, for $700(!) you get yourself an Atom N280 processor, tucked with a 10.1-inch display, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Windows XP Professional edition (no Windows 7?) and a 10.5 hours battery, for every single charge. Well, not exactly the best deal out there, is it?

[via mobileandnotebook]

It’s not a secret that Intel’s latest 2GHz Atom Processor is looking for new lavish netbooks to sit in, while making its way out to the market in the coming weeks. Now we’ve been told that Intel’s speedy CPU has finally found a fancy ultra-portable device to be accommodated, as Sony officially announces the Vaio X, an 11.1-inch netbook/notebook series that weighs only 1.6 pounds and made out of carbon-fiber materials. True, it ain’t going to be cheap, in fact you’ll have to pay a whopping $1499 – yes you’ve heard that right – one thousand four hundred and ninety nine dollars, that’s what you’ll be asked to shell out in order to get a slim Vaio X machine, including an Atom Z550 processor, tucked with an SSD drive, Windows 7  Home Premium edition, an integrated Verizon 3G slot and a 3.5-hour battery that is claimed to deliver up to 14 hours of work, in case you’re using the “super-extended” battery. Oh, and those of you who are crazy enough to buy one, will also receive a multitouch trackpad to flick and tap around – Duh.

Update: We’ve added an unboxing video of the Vaio X, made by the NewGadgets people, who were kind enough to share their first preview shots among the interweb geeks. In this video, you can see how thin the X series is and why Sony keeps hitting us with top notch machines. Truth to be told, price tag isn’t so friendly in this case, but that’d probably apply to many other products with such a lucrative design. Hard to tell if a Windows 7 was already included, but 3G modem and Intel’s new Atom Z540, are definitely inside. Hit the jump to see the demo.  

[via boygeniusreport]

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Well, we didn’t expect this one, but it seems you can find whatever you want at the CEATEC show, that takes place in Japan these days. The object you’re looking at was recently spotted at the Kohjinsha tech booth by Akihabaranews team and seems to boast the “prototype” status at the moment. Besides that, Kohjinsha’s futuristic model packs two 10.1-inch TFT LCD screens at either 1024 x 600 or 1366 x 768 resolution, and can be used jointly and severally. Other than that, you get inside a cool swiveling base, along with some strong specs that include an AMD Athlon MV-40 processor, paired with a 160GB hard drive, up to 4GB of RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium onboard. Regretfully, at this point, we have no price or release dates to share, but be sure we’ll be there to bring them on whenever they get shown.

Update1: It seems to happen faster than expected – as we now hear that Kohjinsha’s 10-inch dual-screen netbook goes on sale these days with a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo processor and RS780MN chipset onboard, both sitting next to an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics, a 3-in-1 card reader, 1.3MP webcam, 3 X USB hubs, WiFi, 1GB of RAM and same capacity drive, standing at 160GB of storage. Battery suppose to deliver up to 4.5 hours of work, while weight is surprisingly light for the overall package, 4.09 pounds (1.84 kg) only. Shipping is set to start 3 weeks from now, worldwide, as prices start with a ¥95,800 ($1,110) package that includes a Linux version, and climb up to ¥100,800 for the Windows 7 Home Premium flavor. Get it now if you need a portable multiple action in your hands.

Update2: As you already know, first comes the release, then the unboxing, and the guys at Wow Pow were one of the firsts to take Kohjinsha’s dual-screen netbook for a roundup, in which they share their preliminary thoughts. Hit the break to see their video.

[Akihabara News]

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Sony strikes again, this time with the new NW-A840 mp3 player, which is a 7.2mm walkman device that sports a 2.8-inch OLED display, upscaled to 720×480 pixel resolution via a built-in TV output. In addition, the A840 is probably one of the first portable audio  machines we’ve ever seen, to include a staggering 64GB flash drive storage, which lets you accommodate your entire audio/video library collection on such a tiny frame. Also bundled inside the box are Sony’s premium MDR-EX300SL earbuds, which come along with a reasonable battery, claimed to deliver up to 29-hours of music playback or 9 hours of video. Scheduled to October 31st, you get to choose out of three different A-series versions – the first, 16GB NW-A845 priced at ¥24,000 (or $265), the second, 32GB NW-A846 which will cost you ¥30,000 (or $330), and THE third, a 64GB NW-A847 that will set you back for ¥40,000 (or $440) – all available either in Brown/Gold flavors (in picture) or an elegant Black.

Update: Looks like Sony just rolled out a European version of that Japanese NW-A840 walkman, which boasts exactly the same features, including a 2.8-inch OLED, paired with 7.2mm thin body and 28 hours of audio playback, but named NW-A845 and available in a 16GB “Falcon Black” version, only. Image after the break.

[Via Sony Insider]

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In case you’re one of those people who look for one of those netbooks to set you up with the usual and non-pretentious specs, Epson just might be the firm that has the right solution. And with the company’s Endeavor Na01 mini, already well established around the unfamiliar netbook machines in town, it looks like another outlandish fellow is yet to join the batch. But hey, don’t you start developing highly expectations this time, since Epson’s Endeavor Na02 Mini-V is not much of a difference. In fact, it has just about the same things its ten-months-old predecessor boasts, only this new one also packs a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor (instead of Atom N270), that seats right next to a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 display, a multi-card reader, WiFi connectivity and all the usual ingredients you probably know. Price tag is already set for ¥39,800 (about $427), with a shipping date, scheduled for November.

[via impress]

Yes, we all heard about it time after time on recent weeks, but now it’s for real, as Sony finally makes the PS3 Slim edition official, at GamesCom show, ending up months of rumors and speculation about the new gaming console. And speaking about the slim console, turns out it will be available in the first week of September, worldwide, priced at merely $300 (that’s 300 Euros, or 29,980 Yen) and packing a 120GB HDD along with all the good features we know from the regular PS3. In addition, the slimmer version actually have clickable buttons on front, while sized 32 percent less than previous model. Furthermore, the new edition apparently consumes 34 percent less power and the bundle includes a wireless DualShock3 controller to comfortably rock your gaming experience from your living room sofa, as vertical stand is optional for extra $24. Sony will also release Firmware version 3.0, next to the Slim debut, so you will enjoy animated themes with avatars, some cool UI changes, modified friends lists and even a new status indicator, when running your brand new matte black console for the first time. For more details about the PS3 Slim announcement, the full specs, and some video footage to watch, hit the jump or pass the break.

Update1: Apparently, you won’t be able to play any Playstation 2 games with your new PS3 Slim console, which is a bummer (!) if you think about it, since not having a PS2 backwards compatibility will force everyone get rid of their cool games collection, but this way or another, if you keep searching for some cool advantages inside the latest Slim edition, then mind you this hot box will presumably support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio bit-streaming through your fancy hi-fi receiver. Huzzah!

Update2: Looks like Sony’s new PS3 Slim console is officially up and available across US retailers like Best Buys and GameStops (earlier than expected) for $299, so you can go down to your local store and get it NOW. Meanwhile, If you happen to have it at your disposal, already, and curious to see the inside parts of the box, hit the break and take a look, both at the image (one of few) and video footage that iFixit group has recently published.

Update3: A 250GB PS3 Final Fantasy XIII edition officially announced, set to be released in Japan somewhere around December for ¥41,600 Yen. Image is right after the break.

Update4: And moments after, Amazon.co.uk has listed a 250GB version as well, but this time you’ll have to settle with the ordinary black. Pre-order price is set for £285 ($455) and delivery is scheduled to October 1st.

Update5: Apparently, the 250GB Playstation Slim version is about to hit US shelves on November 3rd for $349.99, so you have only couple of weeks to get yourself this extra capacity-size edition.

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NEC’s super slim Atom Z540 (1.84GHz) VersaPro VS-7  netbook has already made its Japanese debut somewhere in May, but only now gets a closer look, as Akihabara News has taken it for a first ride, coming back full of superlatives about “flawless” HD video the machine can deliver and “freaking light” design the device weights (725g). Other than that, it boasts 64GB of SSD, a 10.6-inch 1208 x 768 screen display, 1GB of RAM to smoothly handle everything that runs,  three USB slots, Ethernet port and of course, a whopping  price of ¥176,000 ($1,850), which pretty well suits price tags from the “Land of the Rising Sun”. Hit the link to see the video, paired with some new images.

[via Akihabaranews]

If OLED walkmans might exceed your annual PMP budget and seems too pricey acquiring, Sony Europe has officially announced a new video mp3 player, under E-Series category, which suppose to go live from the end of July for an undetermined price that will probably be lower than previous versions. The players themselves are expected to support wide range of formats, while hardware includes an FM tuner, together with five band EQ, a 2-inch (320 x 240) QVGA display, a built-in microphone, 4/8/16GB capacities to choose from and either Black or Red colors to choose from. Stay suned for more details to show up.

Update: Apparently, this series will have three models included, the NWZ-E443, E444 and E445 players, packing the aforementioned capacities, respectively.

[Sony]