.Yamato Thinking

The ThinkVantage Communications Utility opened by Fn + F6

Please help us with beta testing!

We continue to work to improve the ThinkVantage Communications Utility in order to make sure that our customers can enjoy a comfortable VoIP environment. All of the audio and camera settings required to do VoIP are concentrated in one place with the ThinkVantage Communications Utility. In some models, a function is also provided that will allow you to mute your camera during a video chat.

Did you know that a common problem when using VoIP applications is the sound of typing from the keyboard? For instance, when you are recording the minutes at a meeting, the sound of keystrokes and the vibration of the keys can be jarring to the ears of those listening as it is transmitted through the microphone.

Here at the Yamato TVT Software Development Team, we are looking into a feature that automatically lowers the volume of the mic when you are typing in order to address this problem. We are attaching a beta version to this blog entry. We are hoping that you can share your experiences and comments about what level of volume reduction offers the best performance. [-25%]　[-50%]　[-75%]　[-100%]

ThinkVantage Communications Utility βVersion Screenshot

■System Requirements
Supported ThinkPad Systems:
ThinkPad T400s/T410/T410s/T510/W510
ThinkPad SL410/SL510
ThinkPad X100e

Supported Operating Systems:
Windows 7 only
Requirements:
Your system is required to install the following software.

Hotkey Features Integration for Windows 7, Vista, XP and 2000 – ThinkPad (6wvu50ww)

ThinkPad Power Management driver for Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000, ME, 98 SE – ThinkPad (6iku08ww) 
 

■Installation instructions
*First be sure to verify that Hotkey Features Integration is installed.
1. Download and execute COMMUTIL_WW.EXE to begin installation, and then follow the steps in the installation wizard.
2. The installation package will be extracted to: C:\DRIVERS\WIN\COMMUTIL
3. Reboot your system after installation.

■Uninstall instructions
1. Select ThinkVantage Communications Utility from Add/Remove Programs.
2. Click the Uninstall button to uninstall the program.
3. Reboot your system after uninstalling the program.

■How to use
1. Hold down Fn and press F6.
2. Click the checkbox for “Lower my microphone volume while typing”. 
3. Set the level of volume reduction. [-25%]　[-50%]　[-75%]　[-100%]

The procedures for setting the level of volume reduction are now complete.
While using VoIP applications, such as Skype, the volume will now be reduced automatically when typing on the keyboard.

■Note:
The date has not yet been determined for when this function will be included with our products. This package is a beta and its functionality is not guaranteed. Downloads of this beta will only be available during the testing period.

To all of those who helped with beta testing.

Thanks to your help, we were able to officially release the ThinkVantage Communications Utility. As of today, the beta version will no longer be available for download. Please access the following URL to download the official release.

ThinkVantage Communications Utility for Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit), Vista (32-bit, 64-bit), XP – ThinkPad

Thanks to all of you for the feedback you gave us on a variety of topics. We will use your advice as we develop products in the future.

Sapper and Skylight

Those of you who read the Design Matters entry about Sapper, Stradivarius and Skylight might already know this, but the Skylight which was such a hot topic at CES is a actually a design by our very own “Maestro” of design, Richard Sapper.

Mr. Sapper looked very happy when he received a Skylight of his own on the first day of the Yamato Design Review from the Skylight Development Manager. He immediately had a lot of questions and couldn’t take his hands off of it. (lol) He booted it up, learned how to use the applications and accessed YouTube. He was actually watching a promotional video by Lady Gaga!

After a very long review session that day, Mr. Sapper headed back to his hotel. I wonder what Mr. Sapper did that night after bringing his Skylight back to the hotel with such tender loving care. I think he probably sat it on the bar and couldn’t stop staring at it. It’s like his love for his own daughter.

Yamato Development team worked closely on the development of this project and made a large contribution. Yamato Design team also worked hard to assist Mr. Sapper. It is a product that holds a special place in our hearts too!

There is a surprising sight that greets new employees and transferees at the Yamato Office when they first arrive. 100% of the employees walking the office hallways are carrying ThinkPads. Those ThinkPads include products that they themselves have worked on or products that they’ve requested for their personal use, including products that have just been announced.

Recently, I’ve started noticing several employees toting these newer systems, and the one that has really caught my eye is the new ThinkPad T400s. I had an opportunity to talk with some engineers about the system. Let me share what I learned with you.

“The T400s looks cool. It’s so thin and light.”
Two engineers who use the T400s around the office entered the meeting room.

When I asked them about the features of the T400s, they began by talking about how polished the product is. A lot of work was put into perfecting existing features, and new features were added that “scratch the itches” that just couldn’t be reached before. For instance, the new fingerprint sensor with LED indicators allows the state of the system to be viewed at a glance. Corporate users, including our employees, have found this to be a convenient feature since they can verify their PC is locked when they leave their desk.

The T400s also supports a new docking station.

According to my research, user environments are diversifying and therefore 3 new types of docking stations were developed. I often hear the following from our loyal users, “I wasn’t keen to try docking at first, but once you’ve tried it you can’t go back.” According to these engineers, they recommend connecting the docking station to an AC adapter, LAN cable, and an external display, making it possible to charge your PC while working on a large desktop and a fast network, and then only bring the PC with you when going to a meeting.

According to an engineer who works on motherboards, he’s using the T400s as well as the ThinkPad X300. He told me that, “By the numbers, the T400s should be a little heavier than the X300, but when I’m using it, I can’t feel the difference. And with its ample processing power, there isn’t any obvious stress on the system, so I’m quite satisfied with the T400s even when I’m using processor intensive applications.” A circuit engineer explained as he was using software to display 8-10 layer circuitry diagrams that the T400s was an option for heavy users who need both power and mobility.

Another new feature is the dedicated circuit for charging USB devices. Some types of mobile phones and music players can’t be charged by standard USB ports, but the USB port on the back of the T400s includes a specialized circuit, enabling users to charge these devices. By reducing the amount of chargers and cables you have to carry, this seems like a feature that will come in handy when you take your PC with you on business trips or even when you’re at the office.

This time I looked into the electronics, but another thing that caught my attention was how quiet the T400s is. The system that I got my hands on featured a solid state drive and I was struck not only by the lack of hard drive sound, but also by how little fan sound there was.

I think there might also be some interesting mechanical innovations, and next time I look forward to finding out about those.

I came across some Internet news about the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and it looks like our ThinkPad W700ds is generating quite a buzz over there. Although Yamato was one of the bases for development of the W700ds (along with Beijing and Raleigh), like so many engineers I was too caught up with my own product to actually fiddle around with the W700ds during its development stage. I remember all the excitement when the Development Team came up with the Dual Screen, but I never caught up with the actual release until only recently through the Internet. Now I’ve been dying to actually touch it, and I ended up sending an internal e-mail asking if I could borrow the machine.

When I came back from my meeting, there it was – this hyper-robust machine casting a huge shadow over my desk. Yes, I’d heard it was rather big, but I never expected it’d make my desk look like the cockpit of an airplane. It doesn’t come close to occupying all of the desk space, but this machine is definitely for power users who spend a majority of their work hours at the desk. Stable and very robust, the machine’s looks alone should satisfy most demanding heavy users out there.

I had time to test the pop-out Dual Screen, which everyone is talking about. This is what the buzz is all about; a pop-out secondary screen that’s set out to provide a whole new user experience. I can tell you my opinion now, and I think this is quite remarkable. I also have my desktop PC set up with an external secondary screen, but with Dual Screen already built-in to the system, W700ds will come in handy for someone setting up a Desktop environment from scratch.

It’s packed with enough power so you won’t have any problem viewing documentation as you code a program on another screen, or create a company document while chatting on another screen, or anything you think is fit for more than one screen. This design is really rewarding when you think about how many business documents we have to look at on screen on a daily basis.

With all of the great W700 features — built-in digitizer, color calibration feature, high-end graphics  for mobile PC, high-capacity storage — still intact, the W700ds, armed with the new Dual Screen, fully embodies the term Mobile Work Station. How would I use it if I owned one? Well, I’d set it on my desk as a solid work station, and take it out once in a while when I give presentations.