Intel Meegopad Windows HDMI TV, Thumb Drive-Sized PC with Windows 8.1

We've heard of Windows 8.1's ability to install a fully working, bootable version of itself on USB flash drives, but we haven't seen many examples of it, so Intel has decided to provide one.

To be fair, anyone who owns a copy of the OS can make a bootable USB drive, so it's not quite such a big deal. Probably why Intel didn't even bother releasing a PR about it. Still, stealth release or no, the new Meegopad Windows HDMI TV stick differs from the norm because of just that: it's an HDMI stick, not a USB stick. So it's a sort of mini PC / media player device in the shape of a thumb drive the size of a USB stick.

Inside, you have a quad-core 1.83 GHz Intel Atom Z3735F processor with 2 MB cache, 16 GB or 32 GB eMMC storage space, 1-2 GB of DDR3 RAM, a microSD card slot, two micro USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Fi (802.11n). A power button is located on the outer shell. As for software, there's not much pre-loaded other than the OS. Speaking of which, you can have it loaded with Android or Linux if Windows 8.1 isn't your thing. The price is of $110 / €110, plus $14.5 / €14.5 more if you want 2 GB instead of 1 GB RAM.

Intel Meegopad Windows HDMI TV
Image credits to HotHardware

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Motorola DROID Turbo Leaks in Press Render Once Again, Launching in Black and Red

For Android fans and those who prefer Google’s mobile operating system over other platforms, Motorola DROID Turbo is one of the most anticipated smartphones of the year.

The bad news is that DROID Turbo is a Verizon exclusive, so unless you commit to a new two-year agreement with the Big Red, you won’t be able to get the smartphone. Even if you pay the outright price, the smartphone will not work on other carriers’ LTE bands. Still, considering most carriers in the United States will offer the Nexus 6 beginning next month, those who want the DROID Turbo without having to use Verizon will have a more than decent alternative. The only issue would be the fact that Nexus 6 is a phablet that packs a 6-inch display, while the DROID Turbo is a standard smartphone that sports a 5.2-inch touchscreen display.

Those who missed the previous press picture showing Verizon’s DROID Turbo will be happy to know that famous leakster @evleaks is back yet again with another exclusive render of the upcoming smartphone. As expected, the device will be available in either black or red beginning October 28. There’s no word on pricing options yet, but we suspect Verizon will charge customers at least $200 (€155) on 2-year agreements. Anyway, we expect more details on DROID Turbo’s price tag to emerge closer to launch, so stay tuned for more updates on the subject. Moving on to specs, as many of those who were following the DROID Turbo news already know, Verizon’s exclusive smartphone seems to be a smaller version of the Nexus 6.

For example, both smartphone come with QHD (1440 x 2560 pixels) resolution displays, but they are different in size as mentioned earlier.

The DROID Turbo will start shipping in early November

Furthermore, the DROID Turbo is equipped with a powerful 2.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, an Adreno 420 graphics processing unit and 3GB of RAM. Just like the Nexus 6, Motorola DROID Turbo is expected to lack microSD card slot for memory expansion, the smartphone will feature 32GB of storage. Another major improvement over previous DROIDs would be the impressive 21-megapixel rear-facing camera, which features dual-LED flash, autofocus and 4K video recording.

We also know Motorola DROID Turbo should be powered by a high-capacity 3900 mAh battery, which is expected to offer at least 24 hours of continued usage. Motorola DROID Turbo is likely to ship in early November with Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system out of the box. Will you be picking this one up when it becomes available next week?

Motorola DROID Turbo
Image cerdits to evleaks

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Biostar iDEQ-T1, Mini PC with Desktop-Level Performance

Maybe saying that an Intel Bay Trail central processing unit provides “desktop-level performance” is a bit of a stretch, but when you're talking about web browsing, doc viewing and editing and other normal stuff like that, it's more than enough.

Knowing this, and the preference of a fair few people for smaller devices, Biostar has formally launched the iDEQ-T1 series mini PC. It kind of goes with the company's regular policy of launching mini-ITX and micro-ATX motherboard, and small-form factor technology in general. Sure, the company has its fair share of standard motherboards and the like, but it does seem to be more active on the mini PC front than others.

The Biostar iDEQ-T1 computer

First off, it is built around an Intel Bay Trail processor, but don't worry: it's not an Atom, since the company seems to be leaving that brand in the dust. Instead, it's a Celeron Processor N2940, with up to 2.25 GHz clock and 2 MB cache memory. Dual-channel DDR3 memory backs it up: two SO-DIMM DDR3L 1333MHz memory slots, for up to 16 GB RAM. You get to decide which, since this is a nettop ultimately. That means that you don't get a default memory or storage capacity option. Instead, you can outfit it with those products on order or afterwards. The BIOS is quite advanced as well, with features like "RESURE BIOS" which allows the BIOS to be automatically loaded on a flash drive, for example.

The "Super Rescue Function" is another thing. If the iDEQ-T1 is attacked by a virus, you can recover the BIOS with this function, like a total factory reset basically. In truth, the BIOS abilities aren't that big a deal on a small PC that you'll never overclock or otherwise tweak, but it's still good to know the options are there. Everything is held together by a mini-ITX motherboard, though you'll have to make do with the integrated GPU is on the CPU (HD graphics) since the lone Mini PCIe slot can only hold a Mini PCIe /IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi card.

Availability and pricing

Biostar didn't mention them in its press release, but sales should start soon enough. Businessmen might find the mini PC quite useful, especially since they can hide behind a monitor via a VESA mount. Home users can have them behave as pseudo-media players too, since they can be mounted at the back of TVs too.

Press Release:BIOSTAR has announced the iDEQ-T1 series mini PC, a micro-mini computer specifically designed to subvert the conventional desktop PC by being smaller, lighter and more mobile but with similar features and capabilities. At just two thirds the surface area of an A4 sized piece of paper and with a weight of only 0.8Kg, the iDEQ-T1, in conjunction with the HTPC platform, is a great solution for a variety of environments needing a small, yet fully-featured, PC.
Inside the iDEQ-T1 the hardware is based on the mini-ITX form factor which allows small and energy efficient solutions because of the affordable and internet centric board design in a compact 17x17cm size. It supports 2 SO-DIMM of DDR3L 1333MHz for up to 16G of RAM capacity and will provide full Intel powered HD Graphics. It also supports BIOSTAR's BIO-Remote 2 Technology and Charger Booster Technology.
The iDEQ-T1 has some nice BIOS features such as the "RESURE BIOS". This allows the BIOS to be automatically loaded into a hard drive. Using the UEFI BIOS design it supports a variety of graphics manipulation operations and BIOSTAR's research team added the "Super Rescue Function" where if the iDEQ-T1 is attacked by a virus you can recover the BIOS with Super Rescue.
With Intel's Bay Trail processor you get the Intel Gen7 display chip which can pump out up to 2560x1440 resolution displays with DirectX 11. For the Smart Office situation, the iDEQ-T1 will give you a budget saving quad-core computing based on Intel Celeron N2940 chips. With built-in GIGA LAN and Wi-Fi, It is perfect for office space saving and creating a neat and tidy office area, and ultra speed data transfers are no problem with the USB 3.0 interface.
Lastly, placement is easy as the iDEQ-T1 is VESA compliant with a VESA mount with back hanging function. With this you can easily hide the unit behind a monitor or large size TV. For more information, visit this page.

Biostar iDEQ-T1 mini PC
Images credits to Biostar

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