Top new tech products: Smart home phones, Sony Vaio Z Series, Porsche Design hard drives

(Archos)

High-tech product releases announced the week ending June 29 include two Android-based smart home phones, a tablet for kids, Sony's Vaio Z Series laptop, and hard drives designed by Porsche.

An Android-based smartphone that re-thinks the home phone concept
To create its sleek and desirable Archos 35 Smart Home Phone, Archos streamlined the often-outdated device to match smartphone standards, added the Android operating system and refreshed it with forward-thinking technology. The handset is equipped with a built-in front-facing webcam that enables consumers to use the device to make high definition video conference calls, to watch over their baby monitor from a separate room or as a remote surveillance device. It also features a 3.5" touchscreen, email access, WiFi connectivity, and the ability to download games and applications. The Archos 35 Smart Home Phone is expected in stores by September 2011. It will be priced at $159.
http://www.archos.com/products/ah/archos_35_shp/index.html?country=us&lang=en

A smart home phone with VoIP phone call rates
Just days after Archos announced its smart home phone, Samsung and LG announced they had teamed up to launch their own Android-powered smart home phone, the Galaxy 070. The device is based on Samsung's Galaxy Player PMP and LG's U+ 070 internet-based home phone. It provides VoIP-priced calls via an internet connection plus multimedia content such as apps, web-surfing, photos, videos and MP3s. The device will be launched in Korea on July 1. No word on pricing.
http://www.lguplus.com/

An educational, touchscreen tablet for kids
Sick of your child grasping for your tablet all the time? Educational company LeapFrog has released its own kid-friendly tablet that's especially built for tech-savvy little tykes who like to play. The tablet offers access to more than 100 learning games, flash cards, videos and eBooks through the Leapster Explorer library and covers "everything from spelling, phonics skills and mathematics to creativity, science, music, geography, and more." It has a built-in camera, video recorder, microphone, stylus and a full color, 5" finger-touch screen. The tablet will be available from August 15 and is priced at $99.99. Downloadable applications start from $7.50.
http://www.leapfrog.com/leappad/index.html

An ultra-lite notebook that hooks up to a dock for extra connectivity
The latest Ultrabook comes in the form of Sony's Vaio Z Series, an ultra-lite 13.1" notebook with a high resolution anti-reflective display. The Vaio Z weighs in at less than 1.2kg and measures 16.65mm thin. It is crafted from carbon fibre and has a backlit keyboard, button-less touchpad and Intel Core i7 processors. The optional sheet battery offers up to 14 hours of power, while the Power Media Dock "monolithic expansion module" features Light Peak high-speed I/O data transfers and extra connectivity. The Sony Vaio Z Series will be available at the end of July, prices start from £1,434.00, €1,828.99.
http://www.sony.co.uk/hub/vaio

Minimalistic designer hard disks designed by Porsche
LaCie's Porsche Design Desktop (P'9230) and portable (P'9220) USB 3.0 hard drives are sleek, premium-looking products that you won't want to hide away in your drawer. The hard drives are crafted from 100 percent recyclable brushed aluminium and come in 500GB, 750GB, 1TB and 2TB configurations. Prices start from €109.90. Both models are available now.
http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?id=10560