LCD TVs are no longer just found in front rooms and TV parlours. Using LCD TVs outside is becoming increasingly popular. Outdoor TVs are used in backyards, patios and beer gardens; while outdoor digital signage is found along the high street and on railway platforms.

Outdoor LCD displays are a new innovation. These waterproof TVs are designed to allow their use in outdoor environments but they do come at a price. Commonly, these waterproof LCD displays can cost up to ten times the amount of a standard LCD TV and while they are well-protected from the weather – often to national and international guidelines such as NEMA 4 or IP65 – they offer very little other protection for unsupervised use.

Outdoor screens, especially those used for outdoor digital signage, can be extremely vulnerable. They make tempting targets for thieves and vandals and even accidental impacts can cause permanent damage.

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HP just keeps making headlines in the world of computer monitors. The company is continuing to revamp and expand on its already extensive range of LED-backlit monitors while at the same time cutting back on less popular models and keeping only the best devices. Well, HP is all ready to launch the new “Micro Thin” x2301. The name speaks for itself, revealing that this device is going to be thin, and it is. With a depth of only 9.8mm, this new HP monitor is barely thicker than the 7.2mm LG E2290V.

HP achieves this thinness by integrating a lot of key ports and electronics into the base of the monitor as well as the utilization of a WLED backlight. The design of this monitor is very unique. The materials used in the base and housing of the monitor are more than your typical glossy plastics. The base also utilizes little portions of brushed aluminum. Fans of the LG E2290V and the Samsung SA750 and SA950 3D monitors will see a lot of similarities in the design of the x2301.

A trio of all your basic ports is included with the x2301 including HDMI, VGA (D-Sub) and DVI-D, however, it will not feature any external mounting capabilities such as VESA mounting. The x2301 comes with a 23-inch LED-backlit screen with other sizes expected to follow in the series and features a Twisted Nematic panel, 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution and 3ms response time. This also tells us that the x2301 uses pixel overdrive in order to boost grey-to-grey transitions.

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HP had quite a bit to announce yesterday, the most interesting being a device that, believe it or not, is not even a computer. However, HP did unveil three new computers as well: the 13.3-inch ProBook 5330m, which measures only an inch thick and starts at $800, the new 12.5-inch EliteBook 2560p, which is the smallest and lightest notebook to come from HP to date, and the Mini 210 which comes with some new color options as well as “Beats” audio.

Also unveiled by HP was their new DataPass service. If you have purchased a notebook from HP that has a compatible 3G chip, then you have the option of having access to “pre-paid 3G mobile broadband services that allows you to purchase wireless broadband data using major mobile carriers in the United States without being tied down by contracts, hotspots and set-up fees,” according to HP. This service runs anywhere from $5 to $30 a month for anywhere between 75 and 1000 megabytes of data via Sprint’s network.

But that’s not what you came here to see. No you came because you heard about this really cool new monitor from HP. Well you heard correctly. The coolest thing to be unveiled by HP is the new 22-inch LED-backlit monitor that comes with a full 1920×1080 HD resolution as well as a DisplayPort connector. This pretty thing is known as the HP Elite L2201x and will run you $250 when it becomes available in June.

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