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In latest refresh, HP brings 3D to Envy series, 'intelligent cooling' to Pavilion dm3 laptop

HP is bringing 3D technology to its Envy series of premium laptops, "intelligent cooling" to its dm3 model and introducing wireless 1080p video streaming.
Written by Andrew Nusca, Contributor

In its latest refresh of its consumer notebooks, Hewlett Packard announced that it was bringing 3D technology to its Envy series of premium laptops, "intelligent cooling" to its dm3 model and the introduction of wireless 1080p video streaming.

On the Envy front, HP on Wednesday announced the HP Envy 17 3D, which offers stereoscopic 3D capability to its flagship consumer laptop. The 17.3-inch aluminum system supports 1080p full HD viewing, including for 3D Blu-ray content. It also offers Beats Audio and a "Triple Bass Reflex" subwoofer.

As you might have guessed, the system comes with 3D Active Shutter Glasses -- the kind with active electronics in them -- for 3D viewing. Inside, you'll find top-of-the-line components, including up to 2 terabytes of storage capacity, a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, ATI (soon to be AMD!) Mobility Radeon HD 5850 discrete graphics and ATI Eyefinity Technology for multiple external display support.

HP says the Envy 17 3D will be available for the holiday season. Pricing was not yet available.

Meanwhile, HP is also offering a Beats Edition of its smaller Envy 14. If you're unfamiliar with the company's Beats Edition laptops, that means it comes with Beats Audio software -- the tech that rap legend Dr. Dre is seen promoting in the company's latest round of television spots.

Most of the systems internals are the same as its Beats-less sibling -- Intel Core processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics and 6.5 hours of battery life standard or 13 hours with the extended model -- but the Beats Edition shows its colors (literally!) with a black and red exterior, red backlit keyboard and a gree set of Monster Beats by Dr. Dre solo headphones.

The HP Envy 14 Beats Edition is available now for $1,249.

HP also upgraded a popular model in its Pavilion line, the thin-and-light, 13.3-inch dm3. The company has added what it calls "CoolSense Technology" that combines hardware and "intelligent" cooling software to automatically adjust cooling levels according to user-indiciated preferences.

The special hardware comes in the form of materials: metal alloys, soft-touch paint and non-conductive surfaces, as well as strategically-placed vents.

The software is HP's Thermal Assistant, which uses an accelerometer to detect how the PC is being used (on a desk, on a lap, etc.) and automatically kicks into cooling or performance mode accordingly.

The Pavilion dm3 offers up to 7.5 hours of battery life. It's available now for $549.

Finally, HP unveiled what it calls its Wireless TV Connect, which allows users to wirelessly stream 1080p HD multimedia content -- think Blu-ray movies primarily -- from the laptop to the TV.

It works by connecting a USB PC adapter to the laptop and TV adapter to the HDTV via HDMI. (The appeal is that with such direct connection, there's very little lag.)

The Wireless TV Connect accessory is expected to be available in the U.S. in September for $199.

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