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NEC Japan has added two new models to its Lavie notebook line, the Lavie C and Lavie J. Both notebooks boast of powerful features topped by a Blu-ray disc player for the Lavie C and a wireless USB-power supply for the Lavie J.

In addition, the NEC Lavie C also features a 16-inch wide LCD screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768. Users can have a choice of packing in their Lavie C notebook with a Centrino 2 processor including the 2.26GHz P8400 chipset. The Lavie C also gets a GeForce 9600 GS with 256MB of VRAM, 2GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n and two 2.5w speakers with MaxxAudio functions.

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We just have to trust Sony when it says that its new KDL-40ZX1 LCD TV is the world’s thinnest so far. Measuring a mere 9.9mm, this 40-inch LCD beauty weighs 12.2kg. Makes you wonder where it puts all that weight considering that it is so thin?

Anyway, the KDL-40ZX1 is said to feature wireless video reception which Sony has dubbed the Bravia 1080 Wireless. In addition, this LCD panel also features a 3000:1 contrast ratio, a full 1080p HD resolution, three HDMI ports, both a digital and analog tuner, as well as LAN and USB ports. 

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Sprint has just lowered their Phone-As-Modem pricing from $50 a month all the way down to $15 a month. Sounds like you are going to see some huge savings, right? Well not so fast, because as you would expect with anything that sounds a little good to be true, there are some conditions that will apply.

To begin with you need to have a Power Vision phone with connection capabilities, which is going to limit your phone choices a bit, but that is not it. In addition to the phone, you also need to be subscribed to another Sprint data plan, such as the Pro Pack that is going for $30 a month. Now instead of the huge savings that you were thinking, you are saving just $5 a month.

Overall its still not a bad deal compared to some of the other carrier plans available, but the whole lowering the price from $50 to $15 seems a little confusing and misleading. The last catch is the same as the regular data plans, which means that the Phone-As-Modem plans are also capped at 5GB of data transfer per month.

Read [RCRWireless]

Tired of all those chargers for all of your gadgets?  Cameras, cell phones, PSPs, laptops, everything has a power cord even if it’s portable.  In a few years that may be a thing of the past (well, maybe more than a few years).  Intel has been researching wireless charging technology and has shown it off for the first time.

Intel’s system uses two metal rings connected by to a power amplifier.  The two rings transmit power to any device close to it.  Sure, it’s not entirely efficient (the numbers seem to say it’s only about 75 percent efficient when transmitting 60 watts two feet), but it given time that could improve.  The Wired article assures that the technology is safe for humans, so that’s a plus.

Imagining the day when all our gadgets could be charged wirelessly, when laptops aren’t bound to the wall when the battery runs out makes me quite happy.  I doubt that day will come very soon, but it’d be nice if it did.

Read [Wired]

Logitech announced its Cordless Desktop Wave Pro consisting of the Logitech Wave Keyboard and the Logitech MX 1100 cordless laser mouse. Both products boast of innovative features and sleek black design. The Wave Keyboard features a wave key frame, a U-shaped constant curve and cushioned and contoured palm rest. Logitech says that this keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience that was even validated by an independent study conducted by a fellow from the University of Washington. 

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The lawsuit that has only recently come to light, has seemingly gone away just as quickly. I am of course referring to the recent announcement that T-Mobile was suing Starbucks claiming “breach of contract” and “unfair competition” in regards to how they let AT&T quickly move in and take over and begin promoting their services.

According to reports T-Mobile, along with Starbucks and AT&T have reached a “memorandum of understanding” in an attempt to resolve their issues. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, however Starbucks spokeswoman Stacey Krum stated that they are “committed to providing a high quality WiFi experience for customers, including Starbucks Rewards Customers, at Starbucks locations nationwide.”

Which makes it sound like nothing will be changing, at least on the customer side, after all some of the new programs including the 2-free hours per day from AT&T is part of the Starbucks Rewards program. I am glad to see an issue get resolved, especially quickly, lets just hope that does not mean my free Wi-Fi is going away.

Read [CNN Money] Via [Starbucks Gossip]

T-Mobile has decided to sue Starbucks over their recent agreement with AT&T to begin providing free Wi-Fi. The lawsuit claims that both Starbucks and AT&T are not living up to their end of the agreement dealing with the switchover. They are claiming “breach of contract” and “unfair competition” and seeking an unspecified amount of damages.

“Starbucks and AT&T ... secretly developed a promotional plan under which they would offer ‘free’ AT&T/Starbucks Wi-Fi even in stores” that were still reliant on T-Mobile’s infrastructure, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit goes on to claim that “to date, only two markets—the San Antonio, Texas, and Bakersfield, California, markets—have been transitioned from T-Mobile to AT&T.” However we have used a few and also seen reports from many other Starbucks locations now offering AT&T Wi-Fi. While T-Mobile is understandably upset, the agreement that the stores would be converted “on a market-to-market basis” leaves a great deal of judgment room. It looks like this one could get messy.

Read [Reuters]

Vudu has just released a wireless accessory kit for their set-top box. The new kit will allow current Vudu box owners to easily add a wireless connection for $79. While it would have been nice to see the new Vudu boxes begin to offer wireless connectivity built-in, they are also offering a bundle for anyone who is still planning a purchase, the bundle includes the set-top box along with the wireless kit and retails for $349, which offers you about a $30 savings if you purchased each on their own.

While a wireless connection for streaming movies is not always ideal, it is preferred by many simply for the convenience of not having to run a new Internet line out to the TV area. The wireless kit, according to Vudu is plug-and-play and should just take a few minutes to get set up. The kit comes with an adapter that you plug into your home network and also your current Vudu box. After those are plugged in, you should be all set to enjoy your movies.

Product [Vudu]

After several cries and complaints, Sprint has finally explained its decision to cap its “unlimited” data usage plan to 5GB a month, plus 300MB a month of off-network roaming. According to Sprint, the new limit is plenty enough, since it only affects 0.5% of customers. Sprint also notes that the limit applies to both existing and current consumer and individual accounts, but not corporate, business, public sector, or government contracts. The company states that the Simply Unlimited plan is exempt from the new rule—as the limit only applies to data cards and phone-as-modem plans. Interestingly, Sprint is permitting customers to go over the limit only if they do not exceed the limit in two out of three consecutive months—otherwise, termination is possible. However, Sprint is being gracious enough to inform users of the new limits prior to termination, giving customers a chance to change their usage habits. To aid monitoring data usage, the company will allow customers to check their data usage via Sprint.com starting June 8.

If 99.5% of customers are not going over the 5GB limit, than why is Sprint enforcing it? Granted 5GB of bandwidth should be plenty for most users, is it really worth losing the 0.5% of its “hardcore” customer base? Wouldn’t keeping the 0.5% and removing the limit give Sprint the competitive edge its needs, by being the only wireless provider to offer a true “unlimited” data plan?

Via [MobileCrunch]

The latest of the clamshell handsets to land with Verizon is the Motorola W755, and while its more along the lines of your standard phone, it does offer a decent set of specs. The W755 is currently available in purple or black and features a 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture, microSD card slot, GPS navigation, stereo Bluetooth, a 1.9-inch internal display and a 1-inch color external display with external music controls.

The W755 is retailing for $69.99 which comes after a $50 online discount and along with a two-year agreement.

Product [Verizon] Via [Phone Scoop]