In addition to the trio of business-class laptops that were announced by Toshiba yesterday under the Tecra and Portege brands, Toshiba also demonstrated a recently announced mobile external display accessory that would help users get the most out of their laptops while on the go.

The external display is both lightweight and portable and comes with its own cords and a nicely designed leather folio case. The great thing about this display, which itself looks like an oversized 14-inch tablet, is that it’s completely USB driven–plug the display into your laptop’s USB port and it will be able to either mirror or extend your Windows 7 desktop on your Tecra or Portege laptops from the company, or any other PC–no external power supply required!

However, if you do plug in an external power supply, Toshiba says that the display can tap into higher brightness levels. It’s capped at a darker brightness level–which is still viewable and looks great–without an external power source to conserve battery life on your laptop as the portable display draws from your powered USB port on your laptop.

Available for $200, the mobile display is a great companion to a mobile road warrior’s arsenal. Toshiba says it’s great for sales people, executives, and insurance industry. The mobile display can also be used in lieu of a projector for small group settings, which will allow the presenter to control the main laptop’s display while the secondary mobile display can be turned around so that others can see the presentation.

Toshiba Mobile 14-Inch Display is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Notebooks.com.

Research shows that spending a considerable amount of time looking at your notebook monitor or iPad you can cause a decrease in melatonin levels which can lead to insomnia. If you are always looking at your monitor, like many of us these days, you can fight back with a free tool called f.lux which automatically adjusts the color of your monitor of the course of the day to prevent the blast of brightness that normally comes at you no matter what time of day you are using your monitor.

The f.lux app is a free tool that works with Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OSX and Linux. The tool can be installed and up and running in a matter of minutes so that you can be on your way to a sleepful night.

The f.lux tool works by changing the color of your monitor or notebook screen depending on the time of day. In the morning f.lux delivers a bluish background and as evening approaches the color will turn to a warmer orange which is supposedly better for your melatonin production and sleep cycle.

To get started using f.lux there’s no complicated settings to configure or tweaking, you just need to tell the app where you live and the lighting you have in your room.

If you use f.lux and experience a better sleep cycle, let us know in the comments.

Via BookofJoe and Boing Boing

Automatically Adjust Your Monitor to Sleep Better Later is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Today if you want to read a screen in the sun you better be able to crank the brightness way up and hope you have an anti-glare coating. This comes with two tradeoffs; first you’re battery life suffers and second you have to have the foresight to buy an anti-glare screen when you purchase your computer.

Thankfully companies are trying to solve this problem by inventing new display technologies that use less power and is readable in the sun without an anti-glare coating. Nicole Scott from NetbookNews was able to catch the “SunLight Viewable Low Power Screen Technology” from CPT on camera at a trade show in Taiwan and wow is that display sharp for being under the direct glow of a Sun-like LED lamp.

No real word on the power consumption, other than a comment that the new display uses about half the power of a typical display, since CPT hasn’t gotten back to NetbookNews, but if this low power sun-readable display can make it into a notebook or netbook near me you can color me excited.

Sunny Look at the Future of Low Power Sunlight Readable Screens is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

One of the first things I noticed in my unboxing and first boot of the new MacBook Air was the rich high resolution display. We have now learned that it is also one of a kind.

TechRestore will replace your MacBook Air with a matte display for only $249. In order to offer this deal they had to tear down the computer and remove the display. In doing so they learned that the new Apple notebook has a one of a kind display.

It has multiple layers with a paper thin screen behind the glass. Tech Restore CEO Shannon Jean told ZDNet, “It’s in layers, it’s insane. I don’t think there’s ever been a screen like this used in a laptop.” What makes it so unique is the LCD panel and the backlight are separate pieces. The covering is another piece. Jean also said that the display isn’t held in place like most computers with a housing around it. Instead it has an adhesive holding it together. To replace it requires a dust-free environment.

MacBook Air Display is One of a Kind is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Now that summer is in full swing officially, we know that many of you are getting ready to take a trip to the beach, a cruise or maybe you are just going to see some family. You will be on the road in the car, sitting in airports waiting for your next departure, or crammed into coach. While on the go you don’t have to be disconnected or bored thanks to some great tech toys and tools.

For the next few days we will be examining some of the best summertime Travel Tech. In each of these articles we will look at a particular area of technology and make some suggestions for you. Understand these are not necessarily endorsements or reviews. When we mention specific products we are simply suggesting them as examples of the kind of technology that you might want with you on the road this summer.

In this first installment, we will be looking at what makes a good Summertime Travel Notebook and suggest a few good options. In the ensuing installments look for tips on Notebook accessories, a good Summertime travel camera, and an alternatives to a computer like a netbook, tablet, gaming device or Internet device. Finally, we will talk phones.

Battery Life: Number One Feature for Travel Notebooks

So, what makes a good summer travel notebook? I asked our staff here at Notebooks.com and over at our sister site, Gottabemobile. And the first thing on the list of the majority of our staff was battery life. Our friend  Sumocat at GBM said of an Electrovaya SC-500 Tablet PC, “Worked outstandingly well because its battery could go twelve hours at a time. If you’re worrying about batteries, you’re not enjoying your trip.” Isn’t that the truth.

Last summer I took a trip to visit my family back in the Midwest. My notebook has a decent battery, usually lasting four hours, but when you are driving for more than 10 hours in one day that’s not enough. I’m going to take the same trip this summer and a 12 hour battery would be a great asset.

Some good examples include of course Apple’s notebooks. The MacBooks and MacBook Pros all have an advertised battery life of about 8-10 hours. Testers are finding that Apple is actually pretty accurate. Another option is the MSI X-Slim X350 which reviewers note has pretty good battery life.

There are a lot of options here. You could go with a netbook, but we will cover those specifically in a separate post. The key is to make sure you are getting what you think you are getting. Don’t go into the Big Box store and assume that because a card with a list of specs says it gets 8 hours of battery life that it really does. Most of those claims are inflated and based on tests run in conditions you will seldom reproduce in your typical travel use. If you use your notebook to charge other devices via a USB port, then battery life goes down.

12 cell battery from my HP with power indicator lights

What if you don’t have the scratch to get a new computer? You could go the route of getting either a new or extra battery. For example, my notebook has multiple options for batteries. If your notebook came with a lower capacity battery, there may be an upgrade with a 6 or 12 cell battery that will last much longer. Look online for a new battery. You could get a higher capacity and still carry the old one as a backup giving you as much as 150 percent more battery life over your present setup.

Display: Number Two Feature for Travel Notebooks

The second most mentioned spec in a good summer time travel notebook PC is the screen. The main things you will want to look for are a smaller screen, good viewing angle and if available a matte display.

Smaller Means More Portable

Smaller displays mean smaller notebooks. You don’t want to carry around a nine pound 18.4 inch computer all summer. So going with a smaller screen you will likely get more mobility.

Just because you go small doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice power. The Alienware M11x is a nice option bringing the power of a gaming notebook in a small form factor at less than 4.5 pounds.

Display Quality

Besides size, you will want a notebook with a good quality screen. Viewing angle is one of the things to look for, but only if more than one person is going to be viewing the computer. For example, you may want to have the kids watching a DVD in the backseat. This is a great way to keep the occupied on long trips. To keep them from fighting over who gets to hold it because they can’t see the screen if they aren’t holding it, you want a wide viewing angle.

Matte Screens Better in Bright Light

The last thing to look for in a summer travel notebook display is a matte screen. Today, it seems that the majority of computers ship with glossy finish displays. They look nice and bright under low light, but when the sun is peering through the window of the minivan or over your shoulder at the beach or park, the last thing you want is s reflective display. When I asked Xavier Lanier, our publisher, what he looks for in a summer notebook, he mentioned small display and long battery life like everyone else. But he put in all capital letters, “MATTE DISPLAY”. If you read his post about his MacBook Pro entitled “Why I bought a New MacBook Pro” he said one of the main reasons was it was the only option with a matte display. He said in the article, “I recommend notebook shoppers opt for anti-glare/matte displays when given a choice.” Why? Look at the picture below:

The difference is amazing. If you want to check if you have food in your teeth, the right one is the best choice. But if you want to actually see your computer display with bright sun shining on it, you will need the left display. As I type on my glossy screened HP DV5T I am struggling to see the words. And I’m inside. The window however is letting in a lot of light. On the road in a car or outside at a summer time fun place like the beach or a park, you will need less glare.

Entertainment Features

Another consideration is entertainment. You might want to use this notebook to watch movies. To do so, I suggest three things. First, an HD display would be a good option. The better the resolution, the better the movie will look. Second, if you like to watch HD movies, you will want a Blu-ray player. Finally, you might want to connect that computer to an external display. Look for a good option for this.

Most notebooks in the past had one option for getting your signal to an external display – a VGA adapter. Today, however, there are a number of options. A step up is a DVI port. But a lot of HD TVs today will support HDMI, which carries both the video and audio signals to the TV. A convenient option is a Wireless Display or WiDi. The only problem you have there is you must have a TV that supports it or a receiver to hook up to the TV, which defeats the purpose of traveling light. So go with HDMI or just watch the movies on the computer.

What do you think? Is there a feature we’ve left out? Have a recommendation of a specific computer that you love for summer time travel? Leave a comment below.

Next up: a look at what makes a good summer travel camera. Got any suggestions?

Summer Travel Tech: Notebooks is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

Android phones have finally hit Verizon Wireless. November 6th saw the launch of both the Motorola Droid ($199 after MIR) and the HTC Droid Eris ($99 after MIR) which brought an air of excitement to Verizon; not seen for quite some time. The Motorola Droid brings a huge screen, 5MP camera, Android 2.0, Google Nav and much more to the Verizon Network.

Check out our impression and Motorola Droid Review Roundup.

After spending a day with the Motorola Droid, I shared my initial impressions at WalletPop in regards to how the Motorola Droid will affect the cell phone industry –it’s already rumored that AT&T will be rolling out an 8GB iPhone 3GS to compete with the Droid!

“Yes, it has a keyboard; but it isn’t the greatest. Yes, it has an amazing screen, but there’s no dedicated place to buy TV shows and movies. And finally, yes, the Droid has a 5MP camera, but it won’t replace your point-and-shoot.

That said, the Droid has a great network, an app store free of Apple’s tight grip, turn-by-turn navigation with Google Nav, and the much-improved Android 2.0 operating system, which all combine for an enjoyable experience. … but the bottom line is, if you’re a Verizon customer, this is the droid you’ve been looking for!”

With that said; here are a collection of Motorola Droid reviews from across the web to help you decide if the Motorola Droid fits your needs.

PC Mag: “The Motorola Droid is the first truly lust-worthy smartphone from Verizon Wireless, and it puts all other Google Android phones to shame. Motorola may have stinted on a few of the basics in its quest for mind-blowing smartphone power. But the first Android 2.0 phone is definitely the most advanced and exciting device connecting to Verizon today.” – Sascha Segan

Engadget: “A physical keyboard can be a blessing or a curse, depending on just how well (or poorly) it performs. In the case of Android devices, QWERTYs have definitely been hit or miss. We think the closest case for comparison with the DROID’s version would be the G1; both have shallow, clicky keys, and both force your right hand into a bit of an awkward position. On the G1, it’s due to the placement of the “chin,” and with the DROID, it’s all down to the five-way rocker living next to the ‘board itself. We’re happy to report, however, that after a short adjustment period, typing on the DROID is a reasonable experience. It’s not as slick or comfortable as a nice, portrait-oriented Tour or (better yet) Bold layout, though it bests the CLIQ, and holds its own against other landscape contenders like the Moment.” – Joshua Topolsky

Boy Genius Report: “Design is always going to be subjective, but in a world of curves and tapered edges, it’s downright thrilling to see a handset that’s angular, retro-looking and extremely masculine. Sorry, ladies. You’ll always have Droid Eris… We just love the styling of the DROID. It’s minimalistic in a lot of ways, not cluttered with useless buttons and switches, and overall is solid as a rock. The slide mechanism is not spring-assisted, but the click is reassuring enough to warrant a comforting feeling when opening or closing the handset. One thing physically we’re not thrilled with is the looseness of the volume up and down key. It slides up, down, front and back and generally feels like it’s just going to fall off over time. Both the unit we received from Verizon as well as our older unit exhibit the same behaviors.” – Boy Genius

Gizmodo: “Droid’s 3.7-inch, 854×480 display with an eye-popping pixel density of 267ppi, is the kind of screen you ache for. An analogy: Do you remember how amazing you thought Nintendo 64 games looked, ten years ago? Have you looked at them lately? Do you remember the sinking feeling you got, realizing just how ugly they are now? That’s how’ll you’ll feel looking at every other phone with the now-standard 480×320 screens we thought were so gorgeous a couple of years ago. They’re lo-fi and lifeless by comparison.” – Matt Buchanan

SlashGear: “Call quality has been a pleasant surprise coming from the iPhone 3GS, and we’ve had nearly a 100-percent success ratio avoiding dropped calls. Verizon’s network has offered speedy EVDO Rev.A downloads and consistent coverage, and sound quality from both the earpiece and the speakerphone were top notch. You need to turn the DROID screen-down to get the very best out of the speakers which are mounted behind the narrow gold mesh strip along the back of the smartphone but once you do that there’s volume to spare.” – Vincent Nguyen

All Things Digital: “But this week, Verizon (VZ) is rolling out a device that finally gives it a more credible alternative. This new $200 phone is the Motorola Droid and it’s the first Verizon model to run Google’s (GOOG) Android smart-phone operating system. I’ve been testing the Droid, and while it has some significant drawbacks, I regard it as a success overall. It’s the best super-smart phone Verizon offers, the best Motorola (MOT) phone I’ve tested and the best hardware so far to run Android. I can recommend the Droid to Verizon loyalists who have lusted for a better smart phone, but don’t want to switch networks.” – Walter S. Mossberg

Phandroid: “I turned the phone on 100% brightness, set the screen to Never Sleep”, loading a bundle of MP3s on my SD Card and opened the media player to Play All” with Repeat All Songs”. I also used Google Navigation for an hour… WHILE the music was still playing and phone was on full brightness. Here are the results:

So there you have it… 7 hours and 1 minute. That is REALLY good.” – Rob Jackson – Also Full Motorola Droid Review on Phandroid

Chicago Sun Times: “Buy the Droid if you feel you must have a mechanical keyboard. Buy it if you prefer Verizon’s 3G coverage. Buy it if you prefer an open file system and an open app distribution scheme as a matter of principle. Don’t allow those two things to shape your thinking if you expect them to come with a great many practical advantages; they won’t.

Personally, I think the App Store tips the scale solidly in the iPhone’s favor. But the Droid and the iPhone are pretty damned close. If none of the above advantages sway you, you could buy either phone and be equally happy.” – Andy Ihnatko

NY Times: “In addition to great speed, great audio and great cell signal, the Droid offers Android 2.0′s new navigation software. It’s as close to a suction-cup GPS unit as you can get on a cellphone, with spoken street names, color coding to indicate traffic, map icons (for parking, gas and so on), satellite view and even street photos of any address. Buy the $30 windshield bracket, which fires up the GPS automatically when you insert the Droid, and nobody will know you’re not running some $500 GPS unit.” – David Pogue

The Motorola Droid Review Roundup – !DROID! is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

For the last few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to use the Dell Studio 14z laptop while I test out Phoenix Technologies new Laptop location technology service called FailSafe.  The Dell Studio 14z starts at $699 and is more portable than other Dell notebooks. The Studio 14z ditches the optical drive to cut the weight down to 4.3 pounds. Its slim design makes for an attractive packaged 14″ laptop that can be ordered with in Black Chainlink, Ruby Red, Midnight Blue, Spring Green and Plum Purple.

Overall the Studio 14z is a good laptop with a few quirks but in the end the extras make up for most of the shortcomings.

Dell Studio 14z as tested:

• Processor: Pentium Dual Core T4200 2 GHz
• Ram: 3 GB
• Windows Vista 64 Bit
• 250 Gb Hard Drive
• 14″ Truelife HD Display 720p
• 1.3 MP Webcam

The Good:

The Screen: As I mentioned already the Studio 14 z is very portable for a $700 14″ laptop. Thanks to the slim design it fits easily into a backpack or briefcase and doesn’t wear you down too much as you go through your day. Whether I was writing, emailing or watching a video on Hulu the 14z performed well.

For two of my most important screen factors the 14z held its own. First, while it is one of the new glossy screens the glare wasn’t nearly as painful as it was on my HP mini 1000 in the same light conditions. Second, the screen itself tilts back enough that most users will be able to comfortably work on the 14z with it in their laps. These two criteria have become more important to me as I spend more time writing in the passenger seat of a car where I need to be able to see the screen even in sunny conditions and have it tilted back far enough that I can read it without contorting into an odd position.

Graphics: Since you won’t, or shouldn’t, spend all of your time working it’s good to know that the notebook’s Nvida 9400 GPU makes gaming and watching Hi-Def video a breeze. The 720P trailer for Law Abiding Citizen played smoothly and provided a good viewing experience from head on; proving good enough to watch a full length film while on the go.

Thanks to the dual headphone jacks you can also share the audio with a friend. The inclusion of an HDMI out and a Displayport connection underline the multimedia focus of the 14z, though some users will be sad to see that there is no VGA connection to hook up to a projector. You should still be able to snag an HDMI-DVI converter for a few buck to connect to most projectors.

Battery Life: The Studio 14z that I used came with s 6 cell 56 Whr battery and provided me with 3.5-4 hours of use which was a welcome increase from the battery life of my netbook but ultimately not enough to get me through an entire day away from the desk. One handy battery life option included on the Studio 14z is the ability to push a key and switch quickly to a low power battery mode that dims the screen and changes Windows Vista to basic mode. Using this mode and turning off wifi made a noticeable difference in battery life over default settings. The 8 cell battery claims 6.5 hours of battery life and sits flush with the Studio 14z making it a no brainer upgrade at checkout.

It’s the little things: Another note about the Studio 14z is that the little touches Dell has worked into this laptop do a lot to lift the overall value to the buyer. The Most notable “little things” are the speakers that sit above the keyboard which make it easier to listen to audio while the laptop is on your lap and a battery life indicator that tells you how charged the battery is without turning the 14z on.

The Studio 14z can also charge your gadgets without the laptop being plugged in thanks to the eSATA/USB combo port that provides enough juice to charge on the go. This is a nice touch that let me leave my bulky phone charger at home when I took the Studio 14Z on a weekend trip.

The Interesting:

Optical Schmoptical: The 14z has a few, well, interesting changes which aren’t bad, but may factor into whether or not the Studio 14z is the notebook for you. First off, as I mentioned earlier, it has no internal optical drive. While I rarely use an optical drive, and didn’t miss not having one for a week or so,  if you absolutely need an optical drive make sure you’re prepared to carry an external one.

Function-al keys: Dell made an interesting decision regarding the function keys, F1-F12, on the Studio 14z which will delight some users and infuriate others! Instead of giving you access to the Function keys like most laptops the Studio 14z puts the normally hidden keys like brightness, volume, monitor select and more at the front. This means no more hunting for the Function button to handle a simple task like muting your music, but it does mean you’ll spend time looking for it whenever you want to hit F7 for spell checking a word document or a similar action. It took me a while to accept the layout and move on but I still caught myself muting instead of spell checking several times.

Bad:

SD Card Reader is MIA: There are many things you can forgive a slim and lightweight notebook from having but given our reliance on memory cards for pictures, Mp3 players and video’s I was really shocked to find, or rather not find, an SD card reader.

That’s right, if you want to upload the pictures from your camera to Facebook you’ll need to carry a USB adapter or spend $20-$30 on an adapter that fits in the Express Card slot. Dell should really have included the ExpressCard slot SD card reader with purchase.

Up, up and away: With that out of the way the only other real quibble I had with the Studio 14z was the keyboard. While the keys felt nice and had a good tactile feel the right shift key isn’t in the “right” place. It’s a shorter key, which keeps the keyboard smaller, but you will inevitably hit the up arrow instead of the shift key causing much frustration. After 3 weeks the problem is less noticeable but if I’m “in the zone” I tend to forget and hit the up arrow by mistake.

Pros:

• Portable
• Good screen and graphics
• Extras; gadget charging, tweeters, battery life indicator

In the Middle:

• No optical drive
• F-keys need function pressed to work

Cons:

• No SD Card Reader
• Right Shift Key

The Bottom Line:

If you find yourself working on the go in situations where the sun will be a factor and you need more power or a bigger screen than netbooks can give you, the Dell Studio 14 z is definitely a laptop to consider. It provides an excellent portable package that can handle both work and play all for around $700. However, if you think you’ll need both an optical drive and an SD card reader you should probably look for a laptop that has them built in since buying both will not only up the price of your notebook but add bulge to your bag.

The Dell Studio 14z is available direct from Dell starting at $699. Recommended upgrades include; 8 Cell battery to get you more than the ~4 hours provided by the standard 6 cell, Core 2 Duo T6500 processor, and bumping up to a 320 GB hard drive.

Additional pictures comparing the size to an HP Mini 1000:

Dell Studio 14z Review: What’s Great? What’s Missing? is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The rubberized Samsung Go Netbook first caught my attention when it was released in Europe and the unique form factor still has my attention now that it has hit the American shores. While other netbooks and small notebooks attempt to be the next cheap Macbook Air; the Samsung Go is decidedly different and that plays into its favor. Brad Linder at Liliputing recently had the opportunity to review the Samsung Go and has provided a full report on the pros and cons of Samsung’s design choices.

The review, complete with plenty of images, gives you a real good feel for the Samsung Go even without getting your hands on the rubberized shell. Brad’s initial impressions are pretty positive:

There’s something very compelling about the Go, because it’s rubberized case, good keyboard and attractive screen just make the netbook feel good to use. It also does get very respectable battery life while offering performance that’s on par with what you’d expect from an Intel Atom based netbook.

Two portions of the in depth review stood out to me as someone who does a lot of typing on my netbook; specifically the the portions regarding the keyboard and the screen. Brad found that despite the “correct” placement of keys he ended up typing almost 20 WPM slower on the chiclet keyboard which is helpful to remember for anyone who plans to use their netbook for fast, concentrated bursts of typing. The review notes that the difference could be due to personal preferences but if the Samsung GO is your first notebook with chiclet style keys you may want to get some hands on time with the keyboard before purchasing.

Regarding the display, it wasn’t the actual screen that interested me, but rather the angle which it opened too. Brad notes that, “The screen tilts back a bit further than those found on some netbooks.” Judging from the comparison I made holding my HP Mini 1000 up to the review images the extra tilt is small but a welcome addition. It’s amazing how far a few extra degrees of tilt can go towards making a netbook more usable.

The model which Liliputing tested was a standard Intel Atom N270, 1GB of Ram, 160GB HDD and 10.1″ screen which, unfortunately, could be the specs for just about any netbook on the market. Ultimately Liliputing found that these standard specs, while performing well, make it hard to justify the premium price that Samsung has saddled the Go with.

For a full look at the Samsung N310 Go Netbook head over to Liliputing.

Liliputing Reviews The Samsung N310 Go Netbook is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.