Virgin Mobile launches its offensive: quadruple-play from €29.99 and mini-forfait to €4.99

Make the point on the strategy of Virgin Mobile, which announces three new packages including two mixed with a quadruple-play offering.

Virgin Mobile has, as expected, announced new offerings this week. The first virtual operator French first started to be reassuring about the impact that could have on the arrival of Free Mobile on the market. Recognizing "explosion" on the fifteen days following the announcements of Free, pressure is quickly settled according to the MVNO before his recruitment leave rising in mid-March, when Free Mobile began to experience technical problems on its network. In total, Omea Telecom (which includes Virgin Mobile, Tele 2, Breizh Mobile and Casino Mobile) has thus lost "only" 26,000 customers in January and 15,000 in February, and returned to 17,000 in March... or loss dry 24,000 customers in the first quarter on a total of a little less than 2 million subscribers.

"The Free margin is indecent, it must be that the authorities are studying this issue"

Indeed, the same analysis on the only Virgin Mobile brand, 16,000 customers left in January, 3,000 in February, and 29,000 arrived in March, which accumulated allows the MVNO to win 10,000 customers in the quarter! Omea Telecom Group is therefore well, with sales up 21% to EUR 567 million for the year ended March 31, with a level of profitability equivalent to that of the previous year. The Group has however assume the disappearance marks Breizh Mobile and Tele 2 term, to do more to focus only on Virgin Mobile and Casino Mobile. Therefore, Virgin Mobile is ready to launch "his new offensive" for 2012, with its full-MVNO status that grants him more technical and commercial freedoms to its network provider than other virtual operators.

Therefore, Virgin Mobile launches new packages. A mini-forfait to €4.99 per month Extaz Mini that provides 45 minutes of communication and 450 SMS, without commitment. As more generous than the package 2 commented offer € Free Mobile by Geffroy Bézieux Roux, the CEO. Alongside this, new blocked packages make their appearance, from €12.99 per month for 2 h of voice and unlimited SMS. It takes €19.99 to add 3 GB of data. These packages are also without commitment, and all are marketed on the Internet but also in shops, Virgin Mobile does not believing the model all online for mobile telephony.

But it is obviously not everything, because the big announcement that Virgin Mobile had to do concerning his arrival on the market of the ADSL. The CEO noted that the market has resumed an oligopolistic form with offers all roughly similar about €35/40 per month, and announced that it is possible to do better given the profitability of these competitors... especially for quad-play. "When we give lessons of morality the whole earth, it might better to apply these principles to all its offers." The Free margin is indecent, that the authorities are studying this question. "We no longer have the most competitive ADSL market in the world" said Geffroy Roux de Bézieux.

Virgin Mobile offering is called H@ppy 4 and includes ADSL access provided by SFR with a box similar to the old access (and not the Evolution model) with a maximum flow rate of 25 Megas, calls unlimited to fixed in France and 100 destinations international, calls to mobile and access to 130 TV channels and VOD portals. Since this offer is quadruple-play, guests can choose between a formula to €29.99 per month with a mobile package including 2 h of calls and unlimited SMS, or €39.99 per month with 4 h of voice, SMS and the data with 3 GB. The offers are without commitment, even if it is possible to commit to 24 months and €6 more per month to have a subsidized smartphone.

These attractive offers are available today for the Virgin Mobile customers and will be marketed at the end of may for the others. A few hidden costs are however unfortunate, as the additional minute charged 37 cents or the MB that will cost 10 cents. Any hassle, the box to mobile calls are available after the third minute and it takes 25 cent per minute of appeal before that, or 75 cents per call of more than 3 minutes. Also note that the box is not equipped with disk hard and not can not manage the TV recordings. However Business Mobile Virgin Mobile says that there are "move up the chain of value gradually" and improve its offer and its equipment with time. The intention of Virgin Mobile is actually itself as a player in the telecoms capable of pushing the market.

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Bing Desktop: the integrated Windows search bar

The firm of Redmond yesterday launched the beta version of Bing Desktop, its autonomous search bar into Windows 7.

Yesterday Microsoft has made available for download the beta version of its utility called Bing Desktop. It allows, directly from the Windows desktop, to search via the search engine Bing of the firm without having to open a Web browser.

1.4 MB file installs a search bar that is place by default to the center of the screen (an option allows the Center at the top of the Office). This area of research is from left to right: the Bing logo, by clicking on it, allowing direct access to the site, Bing.com, of the input field the terms to search for, then the button giving access to the options finally.

Thus, it will be possible to launch Bing Desktop at every startup of Windows, to allow the update of the wallpaper of the Office with the image displayed on the web page Bing.com or still activate the hotkey "Winkey + H" to appear the bar research at any time.

Bing Desktop Beta is available in English for all versions of Windows 7.

> Download the Bing Desktop beta

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The Trinity of AMD APUs: 29% faster CPU, 56% to the GPU...

A document from AMD provides guidance on earnings to the new generation of APUs...

On one of the pages of a document AMD marketing piochée at SweClockers, found some arguments put forward by the caster to praise new APUs of the Trinity range, which will be replace the generation Llano. Found therefore that, according to AMD, the APUs Trinity is average 29% more efficient in productivity (and therefore on the CPU part) are the Llano. Better, the graphical part of these processors would be 56% more efficient than the already rather convincing, chips of the previous generation. Tests carried out on pre-series processors appear to confirm these performance gains.

Still on this document, it if dig than AMD highlights as an optimization for Windows 8 (with technologies such as AVX, AES-NI, SSE 4.2 and DirectX 11.1), and auto-overclocking of third-generation technology, the Turbo Core 3.0. Also, the mobile versions of these processors would be designed to offer up to 12 hours of autonomy which would be equipped with portable computers. Under what conditions and with what battery/configurations? It, is unknown. It remains only to wait for these new APUs for a test in good and due form, and this before the month of July if everything goes as planned.

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6 GB memory for the Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 Toxic

The Chinese manufacturer Sapphire prepares a model of Radeon HD 7970 with 6 GB of memory, known as Toxic.

Russian site OCLab was able to get their hands and thoroughly dissect the graphics card Radeon HD 7970 Sapphire Toxic with no less than 6 GB memory GDDR5. The map is entirely changed, PCBs, frequencies, and cooling system are then optimized to provide high level performance. The GPU Tahiti of this map is overclockée of plant to 1150 Mhz frequency and the 6 GB of GDDR5 inspired 1500 Mhz against respectively 925 Mhz and 1375 Mhz for the AMD reference map.

    

Memoirs, 24 bullets, are distributed on both sides of the PCB, 12 on each side, the heat will be therefore dissipated in the back by a backplate and the rest of the map is the House, the Vapor-X cooling system. This system of heatpipe uses the technology of steam Chamber, thus the basis copper is surmounted by four heat-pipes of 8 mm nickel plated copper that fall and pass through the imposing finned aluminum block that covers all the PCBs. Is refreshes by two fans of 80 mm blowing across to evacuate hot air from the back of the card.

     

Note that the map is equipped with 8 phases for the GPU and 3 phases for memory, LEDs indicate in real time the activity of the phases visible GPU on the top of the card via a translucent window of the crankcase. The Radeon HD 7970 Toxic need two connectors PCI-e 8 pins to feed energy and has a dual BIOS for the overclockers, OCLab also managed to push the card up to 1300 Mhz for the GPU and 1900 Mhz for the memory its cooling system.

Remains to know the price of the engine and check the usefulness of the 6 GB of memory in practice.

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A bucket for your nitrogen...

Extreme processor cooling fans, here is a bucket of quality for new records of overclocking...

The bucket for cooling extreme Reeven, unveiled in January, is ready for launch in several markets. In the Japan, for example, it will be marketé by Scythian. This jar measures 7 x 7 x 16 cm and weighs 900 grams. Also known on the reference RECC-01, it is primarily designed aluminum and its base is copper nickel plated, where the dissipation is from 18 circular pits.

In the kit, a polymer Aeroflex insulation sleeve is included as a location for thermal probe. All are suitable for use on socket LGA 1155, 1156, 1366, 775-2011 in Intel, and FM1, AM3 +, AM3, AM2 +, AM2 for AMD. Not given, it will be sold nearly 20,000 yen to the Japan, or some US $ 242.

                 

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Alims: prices down in Cooler Master

Cooler Master celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and gifts to customers, as with its Silent Pro including price feeds are reviewed in the decline.

Cooler Master celebrates 20 years and is all tables. The power supplies, manufacturer concedes a decrease in price on all models of its Silent Pro modular, monorail and certified 80 + Bronze. Silent Pro Gold and Hybrid blocks are not affected. What this now gives resellers of brand partners:

Silent Pro 500W = €69.90 ttc (instead of €79,90 ttc) Silent Pro 600W = €79,90 ttc (instead of €89.90 ttc) Silent Pro 700W = €94,90 ttc (instead €104,90 ttc) Silent Pro 850W = €114,90 ttc (instead €129,90 ttc) Silent Pro 1000W = €134.90 ttc (instead €149,90 ttc)

> Compare prices of power supply Cooler Master on street-Hardware

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Instagram finally available on Android

Available for two years on iPhone, the application of vintage Instagram photo sharing finally arrives on Android terminals.

Smile, cheeeese! Instagram, one of the apps lights of the iPhone, sort of photographic social network, is finally available on Android.

With its 30 million users around the world on iOS, Instagram prepares to invade the globe via mobile terminals on the OS to the small green robot. Downloadable since yesterday on Google Play, the application allows to complement the pictures taken via the sensor of a terminal Android effects stylized to improve their record, or not elsewhere, following the tastes of each. It is then possible to simply share with other Instagram members but also on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and soon Flickr.

The application, available in French weighs 13 MB, is compatible with all models of smartphones with version 2.2 and higher of Android, but is however not yet compatible with shelves.

     

Instagram being awaited on Android, its user base should literally explode and the heyday of the company, especially if, as it envisaged, advertising was introduced in the application to be pay and report - very - large.

> Find Instagram on Google Play

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Cubitek ICE: a new range of enclosures alu of the mini-ITX at the HPTX

Cubitek presents five new ICE, aluminum and visibly well-designed series enclosures.

Cubitek, manufacturer of boxes, presents a new line of products under the name "Ice Series". No less than five new models are introduced, all designed with plates of 2.5 mm thick aluminum. These five models range from the format mini-ITX at the HPTX, a range of prices ranging from $ 169 to 359.

                               

Their design is "anti-vibration", with hard disk drives mounted on rubber pads and walls which are based also on rubber bands. Aluminum design helps the dissipation of heat, and from the micro-ATX size, all these boxes are delivered with a large 200 mm mounted on the front fan, another turbine 140 mm on the top and a 120 mm at the rear.

                     

The motherboard plate is divided in such a way to allow efficient storage of cables, to properly mount configuration inside. The holes are protected by rubber parts to guide the cables coming to stay in the space of 19 mm between the plate and the wall of the enclosure. Finally, these five models of Cubitek ICE offer a front panel with two ports USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 ports and gold-plated Jack ports.

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OCZ Vertex 4: just launched and already available

OCZ launches its fourth generation of flash Vertex drives, this time above based on a Mount Everest 2 Indilinx controller.

OCZ Announces and launches today its new SSD the Vertex 4 range. Architected around a 6 Gbps SATA III interface, these SSD operate controller Everest 2 from Indilinx, therefore a new step in the transition made by OCZ SandForce of Vertex 3-Indilinx controllers controllers, business with Octane. NAND flash chips used are of type MLC engraved 25 nm by IMFT.

The constructor announced maximum speeds of 200 MB/s write for the model of 128 GB, 380 MB/s for 256 GB and 475 MB/s to 512 GB. Read, these three models peak at 535 MB/s and all display at the level of the input/output per second on files of 4 K of the figures of 90,000 IOPS in reading and 85,000 IOPS write.

The warranty is five years on these disks that should benefit quickly from an update of firmware still improving the performance of these disks read-sequential as stated in article of Hardware .fr. The 128 GB model is sold from €165 (€1.29 /Go), the 256 GB from €335 (€1.31 /Go) and 512 GB model from €670 (€1.31 /Go).

> Compare prices of SSDS on street-Hardware

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Optimize the performances of your graphics with HIS iTurbo

HIS Chinese society offers its software iTurbo to make the best of graphics cards.

Delivered in bundle with its graphics and maps available free for download on its web site, HIS offers a complete, ergonomic and easy to use graphics tweaking tool with iTurbo.

iTurbo gives you then total control over the settings of your graphics card (voltages and frequencies of the GPU and memory, speed of the ventilos) allowing a simplified overclocking. The soft is designed to be used with all models of graphics cards all builders that they be equipped GPU AMD or NVIDIA (GPU Boost 680 GTX is managed).

   

iTurbo more to save the various settings tested in profiles that it will be possible to change at any time. iTurbo comes in the form of an executable file that it is enough just to start (no installation required).

> Download the iTurbo of HIS software

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Intel 313 Series: the new cache SSD hybrid storage

All the technical details of this new range of SSD are finally known. It is not oriented disk storage, but SSD designed for hybrid storage.

Intel formalizes the launch of its new line of flash memory drives by opening the product page on its website and its technical declination "ark" for the 20 GB and 24 GB. The Intel SSD 313 Series come succeed the Series 311 and are specially studied for as disk cache and not in discs for the operating systems or for ultra fast storage for example.

They strengthen the interests of technology home of the skier, the TRS (Smart Response Technology). This new way of coupling a flash disk and a disk tray to power - in part - combine performance and time response of a SSD drive and important storage of a disk trays, as the last Hitachi GST 4 To disk.

The launch of the caster of Santa Clara strategy is clear. The TRS is complemented by two other technologies which will further strengthen the user experience faster by booting the machine and connecting networks wireless very fast and almost transparent manner for the user. The first is called "Rapid Start", could not be more simple to understand, and the second is the aptly named "Smart Connect".

The 313 Series to return to the new flash drives launched by Intel, will decline in two sizes, 20 GB and 24 GB. The 20 GB disk, announced performance are 220 MB/s read and 100 MB/s sequential write. The 24 GB "turning" a little faster writing with 115 MB/s but loses a little read since it is only 160 MB / s.

In this type of configuration, the life of flash cells must be the longest possible, more they will often sought to delay the read and write orders which must be then sent the disc trays. Intel therefore having its flash NAND SLC Series 313, and non-MLC, for longevity, because this type of memory accepts a number more important Scriptures for each cell. On a comparative basis, the SLC would average more than 100,000 orders for writing, while the MLC could hold only about 10 000.

Available in a package 2.5 inches or in version mSATA, these Series 313 have unique interface SATA II 3 Gb/s, which seems well enough for the announced performance and especially the use that will be made of these SSD. To be given, should pay $ 120 for the 20 GB drive and $ 140 for 24 GB or $ 6 /Go to the first disc and $ 5.8 /Go to the second. It is not given, hope that manufacturers did not benefit to increase the rates of the final machines using this technology.

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Intel Haswell-EX and the DDR4

A few digressions on the DDR4, more than of real info. But a priori, should not expect the DDR4 in our computers before 2015, while companies there will have just before law.

As explained recently, all known elements point to the year 2014/2015 as being those of the arrival on the consumer market a new DRAM standard, the DDR4. According to VR-Zone, first processors actually support these new DDR4 SDRAM will be the declension "business" of chips Intel Haswell, that is to say those which emerge after the Ivy Bridge, and therefore logically in 2013.

Haswell consumer processors continue, them, for their part, take advantage of DDR3 SDRAM, probably on an enhanced frequency range. As Haswell-EX, they will be a priori coupled to the first DDR4 controller for x 86 platform. According to VR-Zone, the benefits of the DDR4 will be there, even without rise in frequency, with consumption to 1, 2V, better protection of data by the RAM and improved correction of errors.

Ultimately Broadwell processors in 14 nm - planned for 2014 on the same socket LGA 1150 as Haswell processors in 22 nm - bear to the also as the DDR3 and should wait until 2015 and a new promises for native support of the DDR4 by Intel processors. Follow.

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A WiFi router in electrical outlets

Planex Communications, a Japanese company has a Wi-Fi router that fits into electrical outlets.

The MZK-KR150N is a WiFi router miniaturized, proposed by the firm Japanese Planex Communications, which can shelter down a wall into an electrical outlet. Why have a large box, also design it, that takes place, to draw cables for power supply and connect to the network when you can all gather in a small package which houses discreetly in a plinth in place of a power outlet...

         

The MZK-KR150N proposes a router WiFi b/g/n wireless (up to 150 Mbps) with an antenna and a 10/100 Mbit Ethernet port (a blank location on its side lets imagine that a version offering a second Ethernet port will also be proposed), all is completed by a button, an another enabling-disabling WPS security and a switch to the router mode switcher mode access point.

LEDs are of course present to view activity and the transfer of data. This router-taking is expected for the month of April the Japan tariff announced 9800 yen or $ 120. Soon here in all new apartments and houses?

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BIOSTAR launches a new card mother AM3 +

For all AMD processors supporting socket AM3 +, BIOSTAR launches motherboard well off and not expensive to €75.

There is not for Intel processors, at least not in Biostar that proposes us today a new motherboard on socket AM3 +. Its name? TA970XE.

The ATX format, it is managed by chipset AMD 970 as its name indicates, of the SouthBridge SB950 and feed into the CPU by its five floors of food, very little for a card which is oriented overclocking and Gamers. Also controlled by its smart UEFI House, it may support drives larger than 2 TB, and has four banks DDR3 memory between 800 and 1866 MHz with a pre-OC mode up to 2000 MHz for a total maximum of 32 GB.

On interfaces, it offers two slots PCI-Express 2.0 x 16, five SATA 3 ports with support for RAID 0,1,5 and 10, a port eSATA, two USB 3.0 ports controlled by the chipset ASMedia ASM1042 and eight ports USB 2.0 and a FireWire port which will pass through the chipset VIA VT6315N. There is also a gigabit Ethernet (Realtek RTL8111E) port and 8 + 1 sound output via the chip VIA VT1828S. Biostar has provided its TA970XE two other PCI-Express 2.0 x 1 slots and two PCI slots.

This motherboard has also a few features such as the BIOSTAR G.P.U for Green Power Utility which allows to optimize the power of the processor when it is not loaded. But also of the Rapid Switch function that allows to quickly restart the configuration in the case of an unfortunate overclocking which is accompanied by another Rapid Debug named function that displays the status of the motherboard on the LED control. It also has different applications dedicated to the UEFI, such as BIOS Flasher or BIOS RELIFE which allows to update or to own firmware from a USB key. Last application called BIO-Remote 2 allows the control of the media center under Windows since the mobile Android or iOS.

Last House known as the Clean Tone 2 functionality is available on this motherboard. It allows dedicate capacitors for each line, which will provide greater than 98 dB signal-to-noise ratio. Available soon in our French shops for €75 on average.

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The Freebox revolution magnifying glass transition to summer time

Every last Sunday of the month of March is the transition to summer time but this year the Freebox Revolution has missed the boat.

You to are surely overview Sunday morning and to have perhaps suffered the consequences if you use your Freebox Revolution as a reference clock: it is not passed to the time automatically.

Indeed, the main display of the Freebox Server always displays back to winter, or one hour less than what it should display (13 h 37 instead of 14 h 37 for example) and not means to remedy this by yourself, no option cannot adjust time manually. It therefore expected that the developers of Free offer a firmware update and then restart the box one of these days because currently the problem is still not solved.

Freebox Player is however not achieved by this issue, the time displayed on the main menu and the program guide is good but the programming of a record is still affected by this "bug", they do start and not end at the indicated time.

The only thing to do is wait patiently for that Free rule this small problem...

[Update of the 27/03 at 12: 35 pm]

Since yesterday evening the causes of this unfortunate bug are clearer. It affects the Freebox V4, V5, and V6, but also some competition, especially in Orange boxes. We learn that it is the µClibc library used by the Freebox to display the time issue. This explains that the time displayed on the TV is good, unlike that of the display on the front of the box. This bug occurs only in the years bisextiles and under certain specific conditions. So it may happen that all the 28 years. No luck! At the time, the transition to summer time is shifted one week, and without that Free does not change, the Freebox will spend all summer weekends only, normally.

However, we know that Free could be the problem and the correct upstream. Indeed, a fix for the µClibc library was broadcast from December to avoid the problem, but this update has not been integrated into updates of boxes. Remains to be seen if Free technicians will release a fix in the hours ahead, or if they will wait that everything returns to normal in the night of Saturday to Sunday...

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Elpida finally purchased by Micron?

Japanese DRAM deposit balance specialist could be purchased by Micron who made an offer, but others are also on the move...

Late February, announced the filing of balance of Japanese Elpida, specialist of the RAM and world important player in this market which, as a few days earlier, explained should have a major impact on the computer industry. Or the month of January, we talking the possibility of a merger of Elpida with another actor of the DRAM market, and this in order to form a true giant. Micron and Toshiba were particularly discussed as potential business to merge with Elpida.

But now the Japanese manufacturer filing of balance, it is a redemption airstrip which is mentioned. And the candidate in this operation would be other than the Micron American who made an offer of redemption of an amount of $ 1.5 billion the DigiTimes sources, to integrate Elpida which has technologies and very promising DRAM expertise, not to mention its ability of production and markets which belong. As such, plants such as employees and engineers to Elpida would be re-integrated by Micron.

But Micron is the only giant to have Elpida views? A priori no, because Toshiba could also be interested, not to mention GlobalFoundries which would also appear on the list of companies interested in the purchase. But Micron has been the first to draw its offer, which could give it an advantage in negotiations. However there is play because one learns that two rounds of auctions will be organized, these days here then in mid-April, before the takeover was finally negotiated in May.

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SilverStone out his package all dressed in white

SilverStone declines his micro-ATX PS07 Precision Series in white version package.

If the black box was already rather pretty, SilverStone has to add to its Precision Series PS07 a new color, white. Outside as inside, this ESS-PS07 is dressed in white and also supports its mini-ITX and micro-ATX motherboards. However, any editing will be upside down, because the manufacturer reversed the meaning of the motherboard, addition BTX and food can be found at the top and not down as it is custom to do so at this time.

There are two slots for optical drives or 5.25 inch front rhéobus, but also a location for a hard drive in a caddy for the hot-swap 3.5-inch. The Interior of the white room, we have five locations for 3.5-inch disks and one for an SSD. To cool the bowels of the small beast (21 x 37.4 x 40 cm), SilverStone developed front two fans of 12 cm turn to 1200 t/m and a third on the same back diameter that cannot produce more than 18 dbA.

On the slice before the package, this ESS-PS07 has two USB 3.0 ports, a headphone jack and one for the microphone. The package is made of white paint, and a door as well as a few elements in aluminum for a total weight of 5.2 Kg plastic covered steel. It should start to show her white dress by the end of the month, but not indication on the tariff that will be applied to this pretty white box.

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Sony VAIO passes under ChromeOS, and ARM...

With an operating system a little abandoned by its creator, Sony tries the ChromeBook. A boost for Google?

Japanese Sony seems interested by the operating system from Google, ChromeOS. We learn it by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) dealing with control all incoming or from products in the United States to ensure the respect of local standards.

   

Photos of the Sony VIAO VCC111 (click to enlarge)

Therefore information and photos that the FCC book us this new Sony VAIO VCC111 with the following specifications:

Processor: Nvidia Tegra 250 T25 1 2GHzEcran: 11.6 "produced by SamsungOS: Chrome OSMémoire: 2 GB RAMPorts: two ports USB 2.0 Reader SD cards, micro/headphones and HDMISans-wire jack: 802.11 b/g/n and BluetoothStockage: DSS-16 GB

Here, no processor Intel, but the NVIDIA, in making the first Chromebook under ARM. The price is not the concern of the FCC, it is not present in the listing, but we can expect to see in the same price range as the Acer and still the Samsung which revolves around the $ 300 as the VCC111 proposes, in addition to its processor, new features or additional equipment that would make inflate the final price.

On the other hand, if the price meets the Chromebook range, it could also be a good way for Google to boost the interest of his bones a little abandoned. With its ARM processor, it could also be the joy of the hackers who can also be quick to run on Android.

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