September 8, 2008

 Asus Eee PC 1000H on sale

It's on sale now for $450. To find this price after the link go to "featured merchants" and select Amazon's offering.  Asus Eee PC 1000H on sale at Amazon

August 30, 2008

Amazon Free MP3 music

It's Labor Day weekend so instead of spending your hard earned dinero on music, check out Amazon's give-away of over 1500 songs. Some of the free music is actually good! This is part of the it's "unbox" offerings of music and video. I recently purchased a couple of videos from Amazon, and I must say that the experience was at least as quick and painless as with iTunes.  Here's the link to the free music, rock your heart out!  Amazon free MP3 music 

August 25, 2008

New Amazon Kindle?

There are reports that Amazon is coming out with a new version or versions of it's e-ink based e-book reader.   The two big new features are color and the potential of a 8 1/2" x 11" inch screen size.  Perhaps not coincidentally Amazon is running a promotion for $100 off the price of the current Kindle if you get an Amazon branded Visa card .  Kindle $100 off promotion

August 13, 2008 

Dell offers 128 GB SSD upgrade for $450

Solid state drives (SSD) continue their inexorable price march downward. Witness that Dell is offering a 128 GB upgrade for a premium of $450 over the base 250 GB HDD running at 5400 rpm. There is no word on the performance/power metrics of the SSD, so you'll have to take it on faith for now, but that's hardly a big leap considering the inherent advantages of SSD.  Dell 128 GB upgrade  

192 GB SSD for $900?

If you are the DIY type, Engadget.com reports that there is a SATA adapter which, using 6 SDHC cards, each with a capacity of 32 GB, allows you to create up to a 192 GB SSD for $900! 192 GB SATA 2.5 inch adapter

Russia- Georgia Cyber-war?

Although the physical fighting may be waning (or not) between Georgia and Russia, apparently a cyber-war is underway. Several news outlets are reporting that Georgia is currently under a denial of service attack by Russia, whether these attacks are the product of the Russian government is unclear.  Georgia, apparently as a consequence of the DoS attack, has set up an alternative website for its ministry of foreign affairs on blogspot. That site can can be found here.  For more details check out the ZDnet article. ZDNet article  

August 12, 2008

Bad Apple?

The iPhone 3G has been in the wild for about a month now and there are reports of problems with the network, or access to it. It's not clear what the source of the problem is, whether it's the phone or the network. Some of the problems may be attributed to the poor coverage of the 850MHz band which can penetrate walls, etc.  AT&T is working on this problem.  There is also speculation that recent firmware update cured some of the bugs.  Whatever the problem is, maybe it's not just your imagination. iPhone 3G problems?

 August 11, 2008

Eee PC 1000H hands on review

I've been playing with the Eee PC 1000H for a couple of weeks now and here are my observations.  However, before discussing my experience, you'll recall that the 1000H has a 10.2 inch  screen, 80 GB HDD and is powered by a single core Intel Atom processor running at 1.6 GHz.

Out of the box, I was struck  that the wintel stickers below the keyboard area were attached in a  sloppy fashion, at odd angles to each other and relative to the edges of the machine (the photo above is a stock image, it doesn't show the sloppiness I'm describing). This sloppiness, however, did not, thankfully, foreshadow the rest of my experience with the 1000H.

I was surprised at how tiny the device was. I cannot imagine getting anything smaller than a 10.2 inch screen, if only because the keyboard would be so small as to require hunt and peck typing. In terms of boot up time using XP, it takes about 45 seconds. The fact that there was virtually no crapware on the machine certainly helped and boosted my opinion of Asus.

In an effort to reduce boot time and generally increase performance, I added an extra GB of RAM to the existing 1 GB of RAM. This has only marginally affected boot up and performance. In hindsight it was not the dramatic performance boost I was hoping for. (by the way, there is only one slot available, so you need get a 2 GB stick and swap out the original 1 GB stick).

As for Atom's processing power, I have no complaints. I don't think you'd want to use the device in a Crysis tournament, but  I was able to stream Hulu  and Joost over my home network (using Wifi G, not draft N)  to the 1000H with no frame drops or lag while keeping several other windows open.  Battery power is another story. I was really hoping for all day computing. If your day runs only about 4 1/2 hours, you'll be happy. Otherwise, keep the the small power brick ac adapter at the ready. Overall, it's a sweet ride with enormous functionality and very few trade offs considering the form factor.  The Eee PC 1000H  really is backpack computing incarnate!

August 10, 2008

I'm Back!

I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that the mothership dropped me off and I'm back!

July 28, 2008

Cuil is Cool

Cuil (pronounced cool) is a a start up search engine founded by former Googlers.  It claims to have some great new tech that can reach much deeper into the web to get better search results.  I've played with it a bit today, but I've gotten a lots of errors, possibly because Cuil's system is being overwhelmed by all the recent attention.  I can tell you one thing I love about Cuil is that it doesn't keep any record of your searches whatsoever.  And that is cuil. Cuil

July 24, 2008

iPhone 3G (almost) real-time availability tracker 

Update: Top Muffin has been squashed by Apple, so it's back to the Apple site after 9 p.m. to check availability. Top Muffin it's like we never even knew ya.

OK, so the 3G has been out since July 11, and you still can't get your mitts on one. Yeah, you've been doing all the right thing to fulfill your dream like checking Apple's website after 9 p.m. to determine the availability of inventory in your area, getting up before noon to get your butt to the store, but only to return home empty handed. What to do? Well Top Muffin tracks 3G availability and updates its stats every fifteen minutes. So now you don't need to check Apple's website and you can sleep in until a much more civilized 3 p.m.  Top Muffin via Gizmodo  

July 22, 2008

Acer Aspire One with 120 GB HDD

I'm not sure how this slipped past me, but it did. The Acer Aspire One is an 8.9 inch, Atom driven netbook running XP  and weighing in at 2.19 lbs. Until now, I've only seen it configured with an 8 GB SSD. However, as of last night I saw a 120 GB HDD configuration for around $400. It only has a 0.3 megapixel webcam and g Wi-Fi, not draft N , but still that's a good deal. One caveat: although several retailers list the product, it may be on back order or pre-order.  PC World

July 16, 2008

Serious security hole in Gmail?

 Warning Danger Warning Will Robinson!!! A report from Holden's Blog says that Gmail has a flaw that allows curious individuals to access the identity of Gmail account holders by somehow messing with Google Calenders. I don't know if it's true, I haven't tried it. But if this guy is right then the G in Gmail stands for gaping. Holden's Blog via /.

July 15, 2008

Intel Centrino 2

Intel's Centrino 2 CPU is coming to market as of last night. The Centrino 2 is a second gen Penryn class device produced in 45 NM form factor. Being second gen, it is the "tock", in Intel's "tick tock" strategy. The first gen is basically just a die shrink to the latest form factor, i.e., the migration from 65 NM to 45 NM, with the inherent power savings the die shrink brings. The additional features comes in the tock or second gen iteration. As applied to Centrino 2 this means it has a lower TDP, 29 W, vs. 34 W in the first gen. It will also come with either integrated Wi-Fi N or WiMAX (that option won't be available until August).  Further, it will have mildly better internal graphics than the extant x3100 part. There will be several options in the Centrino 2 line, with clock speeds exceeding 3 GHz on the top models.  Information Week

July 14, 2008

Secret patch "fixes" iPhone 3G yellow screen

    Some users of the new new iPhone 3G have  complained about the yellow tint to the device's screen. Apple claims that this yellow tint is intentional, but Appleinsider reports that there is a a secret firmware update in the phone that results in a more  "neutral" screen color.  Oddly, checking for updates to the OS does not activate the secret firmware patch. You need to click on "restore."  Appleinsider.com

July 9, 2008

 Eee PC 1000H available for pre-order!

July 7, 2008

Rollable display device stateside early 2009

Polymer Vision is set to introduce it's rollable display in Europe later this year and bring it to the U.S. by early 2009. The device is called Readius and has a battery life of 30 hours. The 5 inch diagonal screen uses E Ink technology and displays 16 shades in gray scale.  Apparently e-mail is accessible, but the details regarding connectivity are missing, so I'll guess conservatively: b/g Wi-Fi, not N or wimax.  There is also no word on price, except that it will cost more than Amazon's Kindle which costs $359.  New York Times

 July 3, 2008

MSI Wind avaiable for pre-order- $499.99

  The new MSI Wind 10 inch screen netbook is finally available for pre-order.  The specs have been described before so just a quick refresher: XP OS, 2.6 lbs, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB HDD, Atom 1.6GHz CPU.  Note that this model comes with only a 3 cell battery, not 6 cells, apparently because MSI is having trouble getting the 6 cell versions at the moment (so this 3 cell version might actually weigh less than 2.6 lbs).   pre-order MSI Wind at Amazon

July 2, 2008

SSD more power hungry than HDD?

      Solid state disk drives (SSD), despite their high cost, have purportedly had three major benefits over hard disk drives (HDD): speed, reliability and lower energy consumption.  Well it turns out, according to tests done by Tom's hardware, that SSDs actually consume more energy (and thereby decrease battery life) as compared to HDDs, even those running at 7200 rpm.  The reason is that SSDs are early in their development and do not have energy saving features built-in. Thus, they are always on, even though they could presumably be powered down to save power because they have non-volatile memory. HDDs, on the other hand, use very little power at idle or recording, and use peak power only when the drive head is in a seeking mode with the disk spinning. Undoubtedly SSDs will become more energy efficient, but it's one more reason that paying a substantial premium for them is probably not worth it right now. Tom's hardware

July 1, 2008

128 GB SSD drive $479

Solid state drives (SSD) are finally coming down in price. A case in point is the introduction of a trio of SSD drives in 128  GB, 64 GB and 32 GB capacities by a company called OCZ.  What about pricing you ask? The prices are $479, $259 and $169, respectively.  These drives are in the 2.5 inch form factor, so before you rush out to swap one into your notebook be mindful that it may not fit if your machine is using a 1.8 inch form factor drive.  So no, it won't fit into a Mac Air. 

Of course HDD blow away SSD in the cost per unit of storage even with OCZ's low prices, but the SSDs are faster, supposedly use less juice and hey they are just plain cool.  Electronista

 June 19, 2008

Crysis on your cellphone

Are you in a crisis because your significant other rags on you for playing video games as if you were smoking crack? Wanna take a sneak hit? Wanna play Crysis on your cell or MID? It's possible, so says streammygame.com. The company sends you a feed of the screen and audio of the game you are playing over broadband. The service is either free or pay, depending on the screen resolution, so 640x480 is free with ads, 1280x720 costs $9.99, etc. http://www.streammygame.com

June 18, 2008

Firefox 3 now available

   The eagerly awaited Firefox 3 is now available from Mozilla.  Mozilla claims 15,000! improvements including better protection against malware, quicker performance (2 to 3 times faster Mozilla claims) and more customizable features.  I'm reviewing all 15,000 improvements and should have a report by the time Firefox version 300 is released in 2047.  Anyway, the price is right so check it out.  Mozilla.com 

June 15, 2008

Eee PC 1000 with WiFi N!

Asustek is a machine: hot on the heels of its 8.9 inch 901 model Eee PC, it has just released (in Taiwan at least) its 10 inch mini-monster, the 1000. The 1000 is an Atom based device running at 1.6 Ghz, with a 1? GB of RAM. One model comes with an 80 GB HDD and the other comes with  a 40 GB SSD.  The OS  is either XP or Linux. Expect the pricing for the the 80 GB HDD model with XP to be around $650 and $700 for the 40 GB SSD.  The pricing is coming dangerously close to serious notebook territory, but you need to keep reminding yourself that you are paying for the form factor, i.e., a 10 inch screen and sub-3 lbs. more info at tweaktown.com

June 9, 2008

3G iPhone: skinnier, cheaper, GPS

   Backpackcomputing.com has spared its valued readers from the seemingly unending (and often wrong) speculation about the new iPhone. So here are the facts: the 3G iPhone performs almost 3 times as fast as the EDGE network, the phone comes in two sizes: 8 GB and 16 GB, and costs $199 and $299, respectively, with with a 2 year contract with AT&T.  The 8 GB model comes in black, the 16 GB model in black or white.  The phone looks more contoured, but it's hard to tell without comparing the old model with the 3G one, side by side.  It's a tad (1/8 inch) thinner.  The 3G will have built-in GPS. In terms of battery life, expect, theoretically, 10 hours of 2G voice and 5 hours on 3G voice. For the 2G connections that actually at 20% improvement because the current model achieved 8 hours of voice.   Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the phone won't be available until July 11.  This  odd, particularly in light of the absence of the current iPhone model availability for the past several weeks. I can only speculate that production of the new model is not going according to plan. Apple

 June 8, 2008

Massively- multiplayer gaming on cellphones

Can't get enough of World of Warcraft at home, or is your girlfriend/wife threatening to dump you if she sees you playing that video-crack?  Well, not a minute too soon a company called Vollee has developed a streaming application to let you play massively-multiplayer games on your cellphone. With the increasing proliferation of 3 G cell networks, games like Second Life and WoW will shortly appear on a 2 inch screen near you. If you thought it was dangerous to talk and drive, just imagine trying to coordinate with your guild while merging onto the highway! Vollee.com via Yahoo

June 5, 2008

AT&T bumps 3G network speed by 20%

    AT&T is increasing the speed of its 3G network by 20% ahead of the all but certain launch of 3G Apple iPhone next week.   Download speed has increased from a range of 600 Kbps- 1.4 Mbps to 700 Kbps -1.7 Mbps.  Upload speed has increased up to 50% from 500-800 Kbps to 500- 1.2 Mbps. As always with these bandwidth ratings, you mileage may vary. Appleinsider

June 3, 2008

MSI- the best netbook to date?

     Laptopmag.com has a full review of the new MSI Wind 10 inch screen netbook and declares that for $499 "no other mini-notebook offers more for your money."  The specs have been described before so just a quick refresher: XP OS, 2.6 lbs, 80 GB HDD, Atom 1.6GHz CPU.  A couple of interesting tidbits: the Wind's keyboard is 92% of full size so typing on it will come close to using a regular notebook; and it goes for more than 5 hours on a single charge.  Laptopmag also has several cavaets. First and oddly, the Wind comes with only a 1 bar mouse. Second the Wi-Fi performance isn't great. Third, MSI's customer support is less than stellar.  Laptopmag

May 29, 2008

UMPC explosion!

  Next week's Computex show promises to unleash a horde of newcomers to the UMPC market. Not least among the new entrants is Dell, with what appears to be an 8.9 inch screen device. Few details are available, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it using an Atom CPU. Taiwanese computer giant Acer is also throwing its hat in the ring and Asustek is rushing its 10 inch screen Eee PC to the market to head off competition from MSI Wind, which just introduced a product with that screen size.  Next week promises to be interesting! [photo courtesy of Engadget] Digitimes

May 27, 2008

Kindle E- Book Reader- 10% off, 2 day free shipping!

The Kindle, which until recently had been back-ordered for months, is now 10% less expensive. Amazon has reduced the price to $359 with 2 day free shipping. There's a full story on March 8 (below), but suffice it to say that if you are a reader who wants to take several or even hundreds of books with you, but abhors the weight and bulkiness of carrying a small library, then the 10 ounce Kindle is a must have product. Amazon Kindle

Blu-ray titles 50% off

    Amazon has over a hundred Blu-ray titles at 50% off. There are actually some pretty good movies in this bunch including classics such as Blade Runner (5 disc collector's edition $19.95), The 300 and The Usual Suspects.  This may be a good opportunity to start rebuilding your collection, yet again.  Blu-ray movies 50% off 

May 26 2008

The Phoenix has risen (and landed) on Mars!

    NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander successfully touched down on Mars' Northern Polar region last night. Here is an artist's conception of what the  Phoenix looks like on the surface of Mars and one of the first actual photos of the surface that the lander sent back. (It's kind of like a real estate developer's brochure: the artist conception always looks better than the real thing!) The Phoenix used retrorockets to touch down instead of airbags. The flawless landing is a remarkable accomplishment. Congratulations to all! More photos and all the 411 on Phoenix's technology @ Phoenix website at University of Arizona

May 23, 2008

OQO model 02 Computer $999

The base OQO model 02 is on sale for $999. This price is for the base configuration which comes with 512 MB RAM, 40GB HDD, 1.2GHz Via CPU XP Home OS, bluetooth and a/b/g Wi-Fi. The OQO 02 weighs just a pound and has a 5 inch screen.  If you need this form factor, here's your chance to saving some $$.

May 20, 2008

Netflix $100 streaming video to your TV

This one is a game changer: Today Netflix is coming out with a device, made by a company called Roku, that streams movies to your TV. The device costs $99.99. If you have a Netflix plan that costs $8.99 per month or more, then you can watch as many movies as you want using the Roku device, which connects to your TV. However, only about 10,000 of Netflix's library of 100,000 titles are accessible by Roku. The device has no hard drive. Instead it relies on an internet connection of at least 1.5 megabits. Why do we need cable TV anymore? Roku player at New York Times

May 19, 2008

No WiMax for Eee PC 901

Contrary to earlier statements by Asustek, the maker of the upcoming Eee PC 901, the device will not come with WiMax when it is released in June.Asustek says that WiMax is being omitted because the market for it is not maturing as quickly as previously projected. Digitimes

May 15, 2008

Atom based Eee PC

The first photos of the Atom based (the Intel CPU using a 45 NM process) Eee PC are out. It looks like it has an 8.9 inch screeen, but few other details are available. The Atom CPU means a longer battery life and more processing power. How much longer will be a function of how each manufacturer configures their devices, i.e., some might make the battery smaller resulting in a lighter machine. The device is designated as the "901" and is labeled as an "Eee PC" brand as opposed to Asus. No word on when it will be available, but figure mid-June.blogeee.netvia jkkmobile.com

Of Berries and Apples

A couple of morsels on our favorite fruits: Crackberry is out with its new 3G device that it has boldly named "Bold." It features HSDPA connectivity, as well as Wi-Fi and GPS. As for Apple, the news, as reported by several media outlets, is that the iPhone is out of stock. The speculation is that this foreshadows the release of the 3G iPhone. I'm hoping the news on the new iPhone will not just be its 3Gness, but also some breakthrough in its form factor or interface or an OLED screen. Give us something more than the expected 3G! BlackBerry Bold

May 11, 2008

Microsoft limits hardware for cheap XP OS

Microsoft, feeling the pressure of increased Linux penetration in the subnotebook market, i.e., the Asus Eee PC, has tried to fight back with a slimmed down, reduced price version of XP home. However, Microsoft has now forced manufacturers who use this version of XP home to agree that the OS will not go on machines with an HDD exceeding 80 GB, a screen size in excess of 10.2 inches, RAM exceeding 1 GB, or a processor clocked over 1.6 GHz.

This is unfortunate in several respects, not least of which is that many users need storage exceeding 80 GB, particularly for large video collections. Presumably Microsoft doesn't want to cannibalize its higher end offerings. But the competitive, market friendly solution, would be to make its higher end OS, i.e., Vista, more attractive, not put an artificial cap on hardware options for its lower end product. PC World

May 9, 2008

MSI Wind, 10 inch screen Atom CPU

OK, no fart jokes about the name because the MSI Wind looks to provide serious competition to the Eee PC and the HP 2133 mini-note. Actually, judging by the specs, the Wind is arguably king of the hill, for the moment anyway. Here's the skinny: 1.2 kg, 10 inch 1024 x 600 LED back-lit screen, Atom CPU running at 1.6 GHz, 1GB RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Linux or XP OS and an 80GB HDD. Price: around $610. UMPC Portal

May 7, 2008

Hitachi 7200 rpm 2.5" 320 GB hard drive

The title pretty much says it all: Hitachi is coming out with a new series of 2.5" inch notebook suitable drives spinning at 7200 rpm, as opposed to the more common (and slower) 5400 rpm. There are a variety of capacities, the largest topping out at 320 GB. Hitachi claims that these drives will be 22% more power efficient than their predecessors. No word on U.S. pricing yet, but in the U.K. they sticker at 110 pounds, so figure around 200 U.S. bones. The Inquirer

May 5, 2008

Intel crippling Atom platform?

Digitimes is reporting that Intel is limiting the use of its new Atom processor to mini-ITX motherboards which lack PCI express slot and RAM to a single DIMM of 2GB. Presumably even at 32 bits Atom should be able to address 4GB. Two GB is problematic because several manufacturers insist on loading Vista instead of Linux or XP. Certainly Vista could benefit from the increased RAM. I can only guess that Intel is taking this step to prevent nettops from cannibalizing its higher end products. Digitimes

May 4, 2008

Lenovo U110 11.1 inch screen, 2.3 lb ultra-slim-update: available for pre-order

May 2, 2008

Intel 32 and 80 GB SATA SSD drives

Intel has announced 32 GB and 80 GB SSD drives which purportedly have "much higher" performance than the competition. The inquirer.net has the full story and several charts, but there is little hard data there to actually determine how Intel's products stack up.In any event, more competition in this space will hopefully drive prices down. Intel 32 and 80 GB SSD at theinquirer.net

May 1, 2008

Sony 13.3 carbon fiber case notebook, 40% off

Amazon has a pretty good deal going on a Sony 13.3 inch notebook. It has 2GB RAM, 200GB HDD, Core 2 Duo T7700 CPU, quad Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n), Vista business OS, and both an nVidia graphics card and a stock Intel X3100 accelerator. It's priced at $1549.99.Sony 13.3 inch carbon fiber notebook

April 30, 2008

HP 2133 Mini-Note to get XP, possibly Atom CPU

HP's recently introduced 2133 Mini-Note competitor to the Eee PC 900, will reportedly get Windows XP as early as July. It may also get Intel's Atom CPU, which would replace its VIA processor. The sub-notebook market just keeps getting more competitive! Digitimes

April 29, 2008

Asustek to launch 10 and 11 inch models

Asustek, maker of the uber-popular Eee PC line, plans to launch 10 and 11 inch models by year's end. This company is like a typhoon, having just introduced its 8.9 inch screen m0del.Here's hoping thatAsustek can keep the 11 inch screen size device under 3 pounds and the price south of $700. Digitimes

Windows XP Service Pack 3 available

Windows XP SP3 is now available. It purportedly contains over a 1000 fixes. This is supposedly the last SP for this legacy product. In the words of Dr. Smith of LIS fame: adieu sweet XP adieu. XP SP3

April 28, 2008

Psystar- iMac clones

Psystar Corporation, a company based in the Miami area, is loading legit copies of Mac OS X on specially configured PC boxes. The prices seem cheap compared to Apple branded products. A base system with the Leopard 10.5 OS, 2 GB of RAM, a 250 GB HDD and Core 2 Duo processor costs $555. It does not come with a monitor or keyboard. By comparison, for example, a Mac mini with 2 GB of RAM, but a smaller HDD and slower CPU costs $949. Although, the aesthetics of the mini can't be denied.

For $739, you get 4 GB of RAM and an upgrade to a 256 MB graphics card. For $1479 you get 8 GB of RAM, a 750 GB HDD and a 512 MB graphics card. Apple is probably going to have a cow over this and Gizmodo is reporting that one psystar user is having trouble getting Apple software updates, but if these guys can navigate whatever IP issues there may be, then this is a game changer.psystar

New Apple iMacs

With remarkably little fanfare Apple updated its iMac line today. The upgrades focus on hardware: moving to Penryn Core 2 Duo processors running at up to 3.06 GHz and better graphics cards, up to a 512 MB on the top of the line 24" model. These stunning devices get even stunninger. Prices start at $1199. Apple.com

April 27, 2008

VitalJacket- shirt with a built-in heart monitor

A company in Portugal called Biodevices, S.A. has developed a shirt with a built-in ECG and heart rate monitor. Calling it a shirt doesn't do the product justice. Biodevices describes it as "an intelligent wearable garment." There are two versions. In the first, data is downloaded to an SD card for analysis later. In the second, the shirt transmits the data to a smartphone via bluetooth for real time output. The price is 399 Euros, which today equals $9 million US dollars, or something like that.VitalJacket via Medgadget

HyLighter- Web 2.0 document editing

HyLighter allows collaborative document development. Its angle is that you can distinguish each contributor's efforts and comments in the document by the different colored highlighting. For example, user 1 might have his comments highlighted in yellow, another in green, etc. It accepts a variety of formats including Word. The site says pricing info is not yet available, but it looks like its up and running, maybe its in Beta? HyLighter

April 25, 2008

Asustek has ordered 3 million Intel Atom CPUs!

There's a report that Asustek, maker of the Eee PC, has ordered up to 3 million of the new Intel Atom CPUs. The Atom will debut stateside in June. In addition, Asustek expects to sell 1. 3 million of its 8.9 inch screen size Eee PC 900 this quarter. Meanwhile, Dell appears much more cautious about this class of ultra-mobile devices, having ordered only 300,000-500,000 Atoms. Atom CPU orders at Digitimes

April 24, 2008

USB thumb drive w/ built-in backup

Undoubtedly thumb drives are a great for moving lots of data in a small package. However, given their tiny size, if you lose it then you got problems. SanDisk has come out with a clever solution with its 4 GB Cruzer Titanium Plus thumb drive. Today's New York Timeshas a short review of it. The Cruzer automatically backs up its files to an online site when it is attached to a device that is online. The Cruzer also has, boomerangit, so that if it is lost, anyone who finds and returns it to you will receive a small reward, after you register with that service. A couple of caveats: the online service costs $30 per year after the first 6 months, and the back up feature works only with Windows.Amazon has it for 30% off the retail price of $60.SanDisk Cruzer Titanium Plus at Amazon

April 22, 2008

Fujitsu 320 GB HDD with 256 bit encryption

Fujitsu is out with a new 2.5" form factor HDD with chip based (as opposed to software) AES 256 bit encryption. Because the encryption is on a chip and not software, it should run a lot faster. The 256 bit part means it will be a cold day in h-e double tooth picks before someone breaks the encryption (at least until quantum computers come online in 10 years or so) pclaunches.com via /.

Eee PC to get Atom CPU in June

Asus' CEO confirmed yesterday that the Eee PC will get the new Intel Atom processor in June. So what's the big deal about the Atom? It is manufactured on a 45 NM process and consumes up to 2.5 watts while running at 1.8 GHz. In comparison the Intel Celeron-M, which is found in current Eee PCs, consumes up to 35 watts and runs at 630 Mhz (notwithstanding the fact that it is labeled as a 900 MHz part). Remember, that just because Atom is more than 10x as efficient at the Celeron -M you're not going to get 10x the battery life because there are many other components which affect overall energy consumption, but it should offer a significant performance boost and increase in battery life nonetheless. theinquirer.net

April 21, 2008

Skype $2.95 unlimited domestic calling, int'l $9.95

Skype has a couple of pretty good deals going. You can get unlimited domestic calling for $2.95 per month, or unlimited international for $9.95 to 34 countries. There may be soul-sucking restrictions and exceptions, but I haven't had my coffee yet so you'll have to figure it out. Skype

April 19, 2008

Rebates on the New MacBooks expiring April 21!!!

Amazon is offering $50 to $150 rebates on the new MacBooks including the ultra thin and light MacBook Air (fits into an envelope), MacBooks and MacBook Pros. These models were just introduced so it's pretty rare to see discounts on them so early. These prices beat the Apple store. Get the new base MacBook with a 13.3 inch screen for $1015 after a $75 rebate and the new Air for $1744 after a $50 rebate. Rebates on new MacBooks at Amazon

April 18, 2008

Kindle E- Book Reader- Back in stock April 24!

UPDATE- the Kindle has been backordered for months, but it's back in stock on April 24 and you can place your order now.

The Kindle is a radically new concept in mobile computing. You may have heard of E Ink (electronic ink) book readers before; they are devices with displays that appear as sharp as a text on paper, literally! They have been out for a few years.

The genius of the Kindle is that it improves on the E Ink concept in two fundamental ways: first it offers wireless access to more than 100,000 publications including best sellers and daily newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Second, it offers this wireless content in a format that rivals the simplicity of Apple's iTunes store. Unlike Apple's iTunes, however, you don't need to use a separate PC to take advantage of the main functions of the Kindle. Thus, Kindle has broken the link (and for many the fear/complexity factor) by taking the PC out of the equation.

The wireless access feature of the Kindle is remarkable both for its ease of use and cost. On the cost issue, there is none. The price of the book or newspaper includes the cost of wireless service so there are no monthly subscription fees for access to the Amazon bookstore for Kindle.

The menu for accessing the bookstore to download books couldn't be simpler. Moreover, the wireless feature works not on wifi, but rather via EVDO (a 3G- high speed type of cell phone service), so it doesn't matter if there is no internet service where you are located, so long as there is cell phone service, the Kindle's wireless feature will likely work.

The newspaper/magazine subscription service by itself makes the Kindle worth buying. For a fraction of the price of a printed periodical, Kindle will automatically download the newspaper, say the New York Times, at around 4 a.m. automatically, so it will be ready for you to read with your morning coffee.

Few products are flawless and Kindle is no exception. Some take exception to its physical appearance. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and here maybe form follows function, but hey it works. Also, the screen is a grayscale, not color. Color E-Ink for readers exists only in prototype form; while it may come to market in the next couple of years, if you need an E-book reader now, I wouldn't hold off for that reason. Indeed, it really primarly affects the newspaper graphics, not your enjoyment of Moby Dick.

If you are a reader who wants to take several or even hundreds of books with you, but abhors the weight and bulkiness of carrying a small library, then the 10 ounce Kindle is a must have product. more info/purchase Amazon Kindle

April 17, 2008

Lenovo U110 11.1 inch screen, 2.3 lb ultra-slim

Lenovo has a new sub-notebook that makes that MacBook Air look fat! It's on JandR.com's site (shameless link at left), but not yet available for order (I'll update when it is). It's $1999, but if looks could kill, it would be the 007 of sub-notebooks. It has a Core 2 Duo processor L7500 Intel CPU, 3 GB of RAM, a 120 GB HDD and is between 0.7 -0.9 inches thin! I'd rather get this one than the X300 which is substantially more expensive, primarily because of its SSD only (i.e., no HDD) mass storage.

April 16, 2008

VoIP for iPhone

Fring.com has a new application that allows VoIP with an iPhone. Pretty, cool, but it is still a Beta so it might not be entirely stable just yet. VoIP for iPhone at Fring.com

Asus 8.9 inch Eee Pc 900 reviewed

The new 8.9 inch Asus Eee Pc is finally in the wild and Trusted Reviews is first out of the gate with the skinny. The bottom line is that the 900 is almost perfect. The one shortcoming is battery life, rated at 2.5 hours. The device still sports a Intel 900 MHz CPU as opposed to the new Atom which will be faster and more power efficient. There are two configurations, both have 1 GB of RAM and the same price. The first configuration is a 12 GB model with Windows XP. The other is a 20 GB model with a Linux OS. I guess if you had XP on your old machine you could buy the 20 GB model and just install XP on it, but I don't know if that would be kosher with the EULA. The price in British pounds is 289, so that would probably translate to a $599 price stateside. (photo courtesy of Trusted Reviews) 8.9 inch Eee PC 900 review at Trusted Reviews

April 15, 2008

Hot deals: 24" HP panel, Lenovo 14.1" notebook

Here's a couple of hot deals. First, you can get an HP brand 24 inch monitor for $450. Its specs include a 5 ms response time, 1920x1200 resolution and an HDMI port. The other deal is a T61 series Lenovo 14.1 inch notebook for $999. It comes with an Intel T7500 Core 2 Duo CPU, AGN wi-fi, a 1 GB RAM, a 160 GB HDD, Bluetooth 2.0, full disk encryption and a fingerprint reader. It runs XP Pro. Add at least a 1 gig of RAM to it, but other than that you're good to go. To get these items, click on the shameless J&R link in the upper left column of this page. For the 24 inch HP monitor search for HP W2408H. For the Lenovo notebook search for LEN 765818 U.

Dell Vostro 1310 sub-notebook

Dell has a new13.3 inch form factor, 4.4 lb. sub-notebook called the Vosto 1310. Some highlights of the top end configuration include a T8100 (Penryn, i.e. 45 NM) Intel Core 2 Duo processor; a dedicated nVidia 128 MB GeForce 8400M GS graphics processor and up to 4 GB of RAM. The price starts at $749, although these options increases the cost. Also included is 10 GB of online backup. Dell says that the 13.3 screen has 94% of the viewing area of the 14.1 screen, but weighs 20% less. OS options include Vista or Windows XP. Thankfully you can also get it without crapware installed. Notebookreview.com loves the 1310's light weight, but hates the built-in speaker, saying it makes "dreadfully shallow sound." (sounds like someone I know) According to Dell the 1310 will be available on May 1. Dell Vostro 1310 review at notebookreview.com

April 14, 2008

Toshiba Portege M700 12.1 inch tablet

Toshiba is out with a new tablet in a 12.1 inch form factor. Weighing in at 4.4 pounds and using Windows XP Tablet PC 2005 OS, the device comes loaded. The S7005X version comes with a T8300 Core 2 Du0 processor clocked at 2.4 GHz, which is the latest generation Intel CPU. It also has 2 GB RAM, a 160 GB HDD, a fingerprint reader, camera, b/g/n (draft) wi-fi and a DVD recorder. About the only shortcoming I see is that its graphics processor is an integrated Intel GMA X3100 chipset instead of a discreet graphics card, but that's hardly a fatal flaw so long as you don't expect it to take on heavy gaming duty. Toshiba Portege M700

First Intel Atom powered device released-slow:(

Sharp is first out of the gate with an Atom powered UMPC, the newest class of 45 NM Intel CPUs for ultramobile devices. As you can see from the photo (courtesy of Akihabaranews.com), the device has a flip screen. It sports a 1.33 GHz Atom processor, a 5 inch LED back-lighted display, b/g wi-fi, bluetooth 2.0, 1 G B of RAM, a 40 GB HDD, stands at about 1 inch thin and weighs 470 grams. Akihabaranews.com says that the device's performance on Vista is "disappointing", which is hardly a surprise given the small amount of RAM. It looks like it's Japan only for right now. Let's not be so quick to judge the performance of the entire class of Atom devices based on the first one rushed to market. Akihabaranews.com via Gizmodo.com

April 13, 2008

Over 100 million ultraportable PCs to ship by 2011

Intel is projecting that in excess of 100 million nettops and netbooks will ship between 2008-2011. The market spurred by the introduction Asus Eee PCis poised to explode! DigiTimes

Google applies Wiki to Maps

In yet another thrust toward world domination Google is wikifying its Maps features. For example, if a restaurant in your locale has moved or closed, you can note it on the map and everyone can benefit from that information. The issue then is how to prevent mischief with the ability to make such notations, i.e., what is to stop a competitor of that restaurant from slandering? Google lat long blogviaPopular Science

April 11, 2008

HP 2133 mini-notebooks available now

The HP website has the new 2133 mini-notebooks available for order now. There are a couple of differences to the specs mentioned eariler. First, there is an $849 model with a 160 GB HDD. Also, I'm not seeing the option to select Windows XP, at least not at the moment. Also, the weight starts at only 2.8 lbs and for limited time HP is offering free shipping! To me, the most bang for the buck is the $549 model if you're OK with a Linux OS. Here's the link:

April 10, 2008

Nikon Wi-Fi Coolpix digital camera

Nikon is introducing a pocket size digital camera called the COOLPIX S52c. Its claim to fame, besides the fact that it looks cool, is that it has Wi-Fi built in so you can send photos directly to Flickr or e-mail them directly to a Blackberry or to Nikon's Picturetown photo sharing service. Other specs include a 9 MP resolution , a 3x optical zoom with image stabilization (or as Amazon calls it "vibration reduction") and a feature which allows the camera to automatically focus on five separate faces in the picture. It will retail for $300, but Amazon has it for $280 if you pre-order. Nikon S52c

April 9, 2008

Internet Black Hole locator

Do you think that internet gods (aka the Matrix) sometimes purposely frustrate your attempts to get to your favorite site? Well it turns out it that it may not be the internet gods, but rather an internet "black hole." These black holes exist where there are advertised paths or routes to a given site, but messages or requests to visit that site are lost along the way. Computer scientists at the University of Washington have developed a program called "Hubble" have and published a continuously updated map showing these black holes. So maybe it's not the internet gods after all. Hubble internet black hole detector

HP 2133 sub-notebook

With the introduction of its sub-notebook, HP is showing some real fire in the belly, and it is Asus who may get scorched. The 2133 weighs in a 3.2 lbs, and besides the weight difference the (Asus Eee PC weighs 2 lbs) there are three primary points that distinguish the 2133 from the Eee PC: 1) the 2133 is available in a range of hardware and OS configurations; 2) it has an 8.9 inch screen; and, 3) it costs from $499 to $750. In the base configuration the hardware is a 1 GHz Via processor 512MB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage; the OS is SuSE Linux. Spend an extra $50 and the OS is Vista Home Basic and the hardware increases to 1 GB of RAM, a 120 HDD running at 5400 rpm and a 1.2 GHz Via CPU.

The $750 model upgrades to 2 GB of RAM, a 120 GB HDD running at 7200 RPM and a 1.2 GHz processor. The OS on the $750 model is Vista business and you also get a built-in webcam and bluetooth. All machines have 2 USB ports, an SD card slot (SDHC compatible ?), b/g WiFi and an Ethernet port. Importantly, you can opt to take Windows XP and then later "upgrade" to Vista. This is a rapidly developing market and Asus has yet to fire its return salvo with an 8.9 inch screen (and possibly an Intel Atom CPU), which is due in a couple of months, but for the moment, at least in its mid and top of the line 2133 models, HP has the upper hand.

There is an ordering page at Amazon, but it does not appear that there are any in stock at the moment. Check back for updates. Notebook.com has a nice review with lots of photos. HP 2133 at Amazon, HP 2133 review at notebookreview.com

April 7, 2008

Are the latest notebook upgrade features worth it?

PC World has a new article about the value of upgrading a new notebook with features like an SSD (solid state drive) or fingerprint reader. The short of it is that SSD and internal broadband cards are not worth it, but that fingerprint readers, the Draft- N Wi-Fi capability, free-fall sensors (to protect the HDD) and drive-based encryption are. I generally agree with the thrust of the story, but with respect to Draft- N Wi-Fi, although it is not an expensive upgrade (usually $50 or less), the reality is that it is going to take a year or more for it to widely propagate. Given that laptops are arguably dated or even obsolete within 18-24 months, I don't see the Draft-N feature as compelling right now. Also, I would like to get input on the need for the Intel turbo boost memory option that some online retailers offer.PC World

World's first OLED HDTV available for order

Sony's XEL-1 OLED HDTV is now available for order. To recap, OLED (organic light emitting diode) is a quantum leap beyond current LCD and plasma display technology. The picture is amazing. Consider this spec on the XEL-1: it has a 1,000,000: 1 contrast ratio, meaning that blacks show up as deep black, not a dark gray. (yes, that is one million to one) By comparison, an LCD display is doing pretty good if it is rated at 2,000:1. Also, there is no blur artifact from fast moving video. And, the panel is only 3 mm (not cm) thin. Of course, being first on the block (or in the world, actually) will cost you. Sony's 11.1 inch panel will set you back $2499, but it is undeniably stunning. Sony XEL-1 OLED HDTV

April 4, 2008

Nokia N810 WiMax Edition

Nokia is releasing a WiMax version of its N810 internet tablet. WiMax allows download speeds of up to 10 Mbp and the signal has a radius of up to 3 miles. The big if here is when will the WiMax networks be nationwide? Nokia says the N810 should be available this summer, so hopefully we'll start to see significant WiMax coverage by then. Nokia N810 WiMax press release

April 3, 2008

Sugarsync- distributed file replication and backup

Backing up your hard drive is like going to confession: you haven't done it since immediately after the last disaster 2 years earlier. Even those saints among you have surely fallen victim to the following lesser sin: you are working on a Word doc at the office, but you forget to copy it to a USB drive so you can take it home (maybe that's your subconscious way of avoiding work after hours!).

For a few pieces of silver Sugarsync.com absolves both sins. It replicates your files to several different net linked computers and devices simultaneously, both PC and Mac. So when you alter your Word doc at the office, it is also modified on your home PC (and/or Mac). Implicit in this is that the files are backed up as well on Sugarsync's servers. The service start$25 per year for 10 GB. Sugarsync via the Wall Street Journal

iPhone shortage is a "screwup"

According to various sources including an article in the New York Times, the dwindling supply of iPhones is not an intentional draw down of inventory before the introduction of a 3G model, but rather a "screw up." One major source of the dwindling inventory is the export of the iPhone to markets where it has not been officially introduced. For example, upward of 4000, 6000 and 700 iPhones, respectively, are being sent to Russia, China and Nigeria each week. Also contributing to shortage is the weak dollar which makes the 16 GB iPhone cost $499 in Russia as compared to $815 for the 8 GB Nokia N95. Notwithstanding the reason for the immediate supply issue, I still expect to see a 3G iPhone by Q3 08. And hey, if a company has to have a problem, this is a pretty good one. iPhone shortage via Yahoo

April 2, 2008

Windows Mobile 6.1- .1 times better than 6.0

Windows Mobile 6.1 is out and according to pcmag.com, it has distinct benefits over 6.0 such as improved battery life and slightly faster load times. However, pcmag also states that "[o]n the negative side, [it] has a fussy interface with a lot of tiny confusing elements, and it often feels slow." That sounds like how my ex-girlfriend described me. Anyway, the full review can be found here. pcmag.com Windows 6.1 Mobile review

April 1, 2008

Samsung Instinct- iPhone challenger?

Samsung has developed the "Instinct", a four ounce, 0.49 inch thin, touch screen phone that may be a serious challenger to the iPhone. The main advantage with the Instinct is that it has 3G capability on Sprint's network, as compared to ATT's oh so 2oth century (read slow) EDGE system which the iPhone uses. It also has a micro SD card slot, a user replaceable battery, built-in GPS and a dishwasher. The Instinct is due out in June, but the rumor mill says that a 3G iPhone is also coming out then so maybe the Instinct won't have the edge; we'll see. Samsung Instinct on Yahoo

Gates concedes Microsoft's failings

In a fascinating interview with the German magazine Duh Spiegel, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates provided a stunning admission of his company's failures and his own downright bizarre behavior. Gates revealed that he had Apple envy for a period when he would put on black turtlenecks in front of a three-way mirror for hours on end while demanding that his confidantes tell him how he looked. He also conceded that if he had a dollar for every time Windows crashed he'd be a rich man. full story link

Rebates on the New MacBooks-Extended?
It looks like the $50 to $150 rebates on the new MacBooks including the ultra thin and light MacBook Air (fits into an envelope), MacBooks and MacBook Pros have been extended again. They were set to expire yesterday. Get the new base MacBook with a 13.3 inch screen for $1015 after a $75 rebate and the new Air for $1744 after a $50 rebate. I'm sure at this point how long they will last.Rebates on new MacBooks at Amazon

March 30, 2008

Asus 8G Eee PC now available!!!

The Asus subnotebook, 2 lb., 7 inch screen wonder with an 8 GB SSD (and 1 GB of RAM) is now available for only $499.99! The 8G is powered by an Intel Celeron CPU running at 800 MHz and has b/g WiFi. It also comes with 40 software applications, 3 USB ports and an SD card reader. Asus 8G Eee PC at Amazon

March 29, 2008

Where you at? Loopt cellphone GPS

Loopt is a cellphone service that allows you to see your friend's location on your cellphone. Technically, it allows you to see where their cellphone is, but let's assume they have their cellphone on their person. Loopt also alerts you when your are nearby. Verizon is introducing the service next month for $3.99 (plus usual $22.37 in unexplainable taxes). And as for you stalkers out there, forgetaboutit, because the service requires participants to opt-in.loopt.com

March 27, 2008

Dash Express- GPS to beat traffic jams

Dash Express isn't just another pretty GPS device with nice maps. It actually tells you current traffic conditions. It does this in two ways. First, it collects data from road sensors that are reporting traffic conditions. Second, it anonymously gathers data from other Dash Express devices in the same locale to determine their position and road speed. Pretty cool. It's a subscription based service for the traffic features, but the GPS is free (with the purchase of the device). By pre-paying, you can drive the cost down to $9.99 per month on a two year plan, or $12.99 on a month to month basis. It also comes with three months of free service. Dash Express via Gizmodo.com

March 25, 2008

MacBook Air envelope case

Taking a page from Apple advertising showing the wafer thin 3 lb. Air in an envelope, now you can get a case that looks like an envelope. It has tricot velvet on the inside and textured leather on the out- sounds delish!

Air envelope case

TeaShark cell phone browser

TeaShark has just come out with a mobile browser which it claims is just like surfing the net from a desktop; doing away with the limitations of the 'mobile' web experience. You can open multiple browser pages, see thumbnails of the minimized pages, create bookmarks and more. With a footprint of only 120 kB, it looks tightly coded. It's free so check it out. TeaSharkvia Phonescoop

March 24, 2008

Joost- 20,o0o free TV shows

It appears that the long predicted end of scheduled broadcast television has finally arrived. Joost.com is a new P2P service that offers 20,000 TV shows, free albeit with commercials. This is no garage start up as the founders of Skype and Kaaza are involved. The service has been around for a few months, but the CRITICAL news here is that the first 3 episodes of the original Star Trek series are on Joost. So not only does Joost get the net, but it gets Star Trek. Enough said.joost.com

March 23, 2008

Happy Easter!!!

HTC Shift

The HTC Shift is finally available. It is arguably the ultimate in terms of ultra-portable connectivity, having Quadband GSM, 3G UMTS/HSDPA, EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0 and b/g WiFi. The Shift weighs approximately 1.8 pounds and is powered by an Intel A110 processor running at 800 MHz. It runs Vista business and its memory is 1 GB with a 40 GB HDD. Other notable features include a 7 inch touch screen, a fingerprint reader and "SnapVUE" always- on technology that alerts you to SMS, local weather, calendar and e-mail previews from Outlook via Push technology even when the device is not on. HTC Shift at Amazon

March 21, 2008

OQO model 02 Computer $499 savings

The OQO model 02 is the Cadillac of handhelds (maybe I'm dating myself by saying Cadillac, ok so think Lexus instead). The tiny handheld is now on $499 off on select models, using the link below, making this Lexus closer to Chevy pricing. This little marvel comes with either Vista or Windows professional, Wi-Fi and fixed storage of up to 120 GB HDD or 64 GB SSD.

March 20, 2008

Unlimited voice, text, pictures $35

A company called cricket wireless is offering an unlimited local talk, text and pictures for $35 per month (plus, no doubt taxes). The company seems focused on West coast markets for now, but if you're in cricket's coverage area it might be worth a gander.

Phorm- deep data miner

There is an article in today's New York Times which describes how a data mining company called Phorm is able to gather data about people's online conduct with unprecedented depth. It's Orwellian if you think about it. Phorm already scours 70% of the broadband users in the U.K. via relationships with BT Telecom and Virgin Media, and it seems only a matter of time before it comes to this side of the pond. Users can supposedly opt out of Phorm's data gathering, but that's only if they know in the first instance that they are subject to it! The article is a good reminder about the need to protect our privacy by using anonymous surfing programs.New York Times

Lose 40 lbs, guaranteed!

A company called fotofix promises to digitally retouch your photos to do just about anything from changing your hair or eye color or making your teeth whiter, to making you look thinner! It seems like a great solution for sending in a photo to your high school reunion when you just can't be bothered to appear in person. And ya, in reality you can only lose 40 lbs. guaranteed by doing it the old fashion way- liposuction. fotofix: Enhance your photos for as little as $.99! Click here!

Cardionet MCOT wireless heart monitor

Cardionet has a mobile cardiac wireless heart monitor that communicates a patient's ECGs via the cellular (CDMA) network to his or her physician automatically. If there is a dangerous heartbeat the physician can be alerted immediately. Cardionet says that its product is 3x better at detecting clinically significant arrhythmias than the competition. The company also indicates that the physician can receive the data via landline or the internet. Here's to hoping you never need this, but if you do it sounds like a great product.

Free iTunes???

The Financial Times reports that Apple is in negotiations with various record labels to offer free access to iTunes. The catch is that you would have to pay a higher price for iPods and iPhones. It is not clear how much of a premium would be required, but we'll keep you posted. via CBS news

March 18, 2008

Samsung has developed the world's thinnest 8 MP cellphone CMOS camera module at 8.5 mm. The device also has anti-shake and macro features. It's expected to appear in cellphones in H2 08. Engadget.com

cellphone camera microscope

Scientists at UC Berkeley have married a cellphone camera to a microscope to create a clinical-quality handheld device that can be used for disease diagnosis by magnifying images up to 50x.This cellphone microscopy is particularly useful in remote and third world settings where a physician is not present. Once the microscope obtains an image of a suspicious mole or malarial parasite laden blood, etc., the image is sent via the cellphone to experts for diagnosis. UC Berkeley via medgadget.com

Windows Vista SP 1 now available

The title pretty much says it all. The Service Pack is available now if you go to Microsoft's website. Or if you have automatic update it should come to you in mid-April. Knock yourself out.

Corsair 32 GB USB Drive with encryption

32 GB is about 47 CDs worth of storage. Now you can get it on a USB drive. The two bonuses here are that, first, the Corsair comes with built- in encryption via True Crypt which uses AES-256. Given how easy it is to lose these things, encryption is particularly important. The second bonus is that Amazon has it for 47% off at $159.99.32 GB Corsair USB Drive

March 17, 2008

Google Pack is a suite of applications containing a range of products including Google Earth, Skype, Picasa, a free competitor to MS Office called StarOffice and anti-spyware/ anti-virus programs. The Pack has been out for a while, but it seems gets overlooked.

Several of the products are from other vendors, such as the Norton Security Scan and the Spyware Doctor Starter edition. I think potentially the most useful feature is the inclusion of StarOffice which is a Sun Microsystems product containing word processing and spreadsheet programs. If you're not already committed to MS Office (or at least not for your personal word processing and spreadsheet needs, as opposed to at your day job), and you want to get all these applications with one stop shopping, then the Google Pack may be helpful to you.

March 16, 2008

IOGEAR Mobile Digital Scribe

The IOGEAR Mobile Digital Scribe is a pen that can upload whatever is written with it, to a computer. The product is unique in that it can write to any paper using regular ink! The images are saved in JPEG format and can be e-mailed or transmitted via instant messaging. The pen weighs 4 ounces and is 2.5 inches long. Amazon currently has it for 25% off at $98.07. IOGEAR Mobile Digital Pen

Hulu.com- free TV shows and movies!

Hulu.com is a joint venture of NBC and News Corp. which offers, free, yes, free movies and TV shows. The library has about 250 titles right now, some of them are actually excellent! For example, the Fox hit Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles is on there (I had been paying to download that on iTunes!) as well as the cult favorite The Big Lebowski. So, what's the catch? Yes, there is a catch, but it's not too bad. Well, for one thing there are commercials, typically 4 or 5 ads each running 15 seconds for a one hour program and 7 commercials for a two hour program. Second, the programs are not formatted for the iPod, but it wouldn't surprise me that with the right codex, that that problem is short lived. Couch potatoes start your engines!

March 13, 2008

RIM BlackBerry 8120 wi-fi phone for AT&T

RIM is expanding its Pearl series with the introduction of a wi-fi phone. This black beauty has quad band GSM and tips the scales at 91 g. It will also come with Bluetooth 2.0, a 2 MP camera, 64 MB of flash and a micro-SD card slot.

March 12, 2008

Polymer Vision rollable display

PolymerVision has developed a rollable e-ink display called the Readius which it says will launch commercially by mid-2008. This is really Star Trek technology. The five inch 16 gray scale screen rolls up into the a much smaller form factor. The Readius will be a 3G HSDPA tri-band phone and have a 30 hour reading time for e-ink applications. It will also have a micro SD card slot and will accept SDHC cards, but possibly only to 8 GB which sounds odd, given that that format can handle up to 32 GB. In any event, Polymer Vision has a lot of street cred as it is a spin-off from the Dutch electronics giant Philips. This is a game changer because it shatters the limitation between the size of the display relative the the length and width of the overall device. I can't wait to get a 17 inch notebook the size of a paper towel tube!

Transcend branded 32 GB SSD $218!

A Transcend branded 32 GB SSD, SATA interface, is on sale for $218 at theupgradeplace.com. The device is in a 2.5" form factor, has an access of time of <1 ms and weighs in at 48g. I have not ordered from this store and prices for SSDs are coming down fast, but it looks like a good deal.

Nokia N810 4.1 inch portable wi-fi tablet, $90 price drop!

March 11, 2008

Samsung introduces 2.5" 1/2 TB HDD

Samsung is introducing a 500 GB 2.5 inch form factor HDD. The drive, called the Spinpoint M6 consists of 3 platters, each having a 167 GB capacity. It will run at 5400 RPM, so its not the fastest, but for sheer capacity it can't be beat (at least until the next gen comes along). It will list for $299.

March 10, 2008

Asus Eee PC update #2

The folks at Asus are on roll with their Eee PC, and Laptopmag.com has more juicy details on the company's plans in its recent interview Asus CEO Jerry Shen. Some of the highlights include: the new 8.9 inch device, the 900, may have as much as 20 GB solid state storage, up from the 12 GB previously reported; the 8 GB model will run XP; while the larger capacity model will run Xandros; the 8.9 inch model may be priced as low as $499; the processor will probably be an Intel Diamondville (based on a 45 nm process resulting in lower power, better performance), this is a huge difference!; after releasing the 900 in April, the company will release yet another iteration in June with unspecified updates; by Q3 the company hopes to include WiMax and HSDPA in the device; and we may see the screen size jump to as much as 10 inches. I can't wait to see the new machines.

32 GB SDHC by Sandisk and PNY

32 GB storage in SDHC, USB and CF formats is coming to a store new you. Both Sandisk and PNY recently showed their wares in this capacity. You can't have to much storage and I can only fantasize about getting one of these 32 GB monsters into the upcoming 8.9 inch 8.9 Asus 900 Eee PC!

March 9, 2008

Cool Iris PicLens- surf using pictures, not text!

There is an interesting article in today's New York Times about a new product called PicLens by cooliris.com. PicLens turns your browser into a visual search tool. It's easier to understand by using it once, rather than explaining, but simply download and install the PicLens program then go to a PicLens enabled site (there's a list on cooliris.com) such as Google images. After searching for a particular image, constellations, for example, just click on the little arrow on any image and see what happens. Check it out.cooliris.com

Samsung Katalyst wi-fi cell phone free + $75

Amazon has the Samsung Katalyst T629 phone for free (ok, really 1 cent), plus get $75 by rebate when you purchase a new service plan with T-Mobile. The big deal about the Katalyst is that, in addition to being a quad band GSM, it has wi-fi allowing it to work with T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home service. The Hotspot @home service allows the Katalyst to make and receive domestic calls from home using wi-fi via your broadband connection and those wi-fi calls won't eat into your plan's minutes. It will also work at T-Mobile hotspots and supposedly switches seemlessly between cell and wi-fi without disrupting a call. Note, however, it will not necessarily work at any public, non- T-Mobile hotspot. It depends, in part, upon the login, requirements of the network.

The phone itself a slider form factor, 0.65 inches thin, and is competent, having a 1.3 mexapixel camera, a micro-SD slot and bluetooth.Samsung Katalyst wi-fi cell phone at Amazon

March 8, 2008

3M announced it has developed a tiny projector capable of projecting up to a 50 inch image. The device can be attached to a variety of mobile devices including notebooks and cell phones. No release date has been announced, but the company says it is in talks with a major consumer electronics concern. The cost for the device is projected to be $300- $400; not cheap, but hey road warriors can avoid the expense and hassle of carrying a full size projector so it's worth it.from aboutprojectors.com via Gizmodo.com

Amazon.com Kindle E- Book Reader

Amazon became famous as an online book retailer, and later morphed into a purveyor of virtually every kind of good under the sun. Now Amazon has gone one step further and in a way back to it's book selling roots bycreating a propriety piece of hardware called Kindle.

The Kindle is a radically new concept in mobile computing. You may have heard of E Ink (electronic ink) book readers before; they are devices with displays that appear as sharp as a text on paper, literally! They have been out for a few years.

The genius of the Kindle is that it improves on the E Ink concept in two fundamental ways: first it offers wireless access to more than 100,000 publications including best sellers and daily newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Second, it offers this wireless content in a format that rivals the simplicity of Apple's iTunes store. Unlike Apple's iTunes, however, you don't need to use a separate PC to take advantage of the main functions of the Kindle. Thus, Kindle has broken the link (and for many the fear/complexity factor) by taking the PC out of the equation.

The wireless access feature of the Kindle is remarkable both for it's ease of use and cost. On the cost issue, there is none. The price of the book or newspaper includes the cost of wireless service so there are no monthly subscription fees for access to the Amazon bookstore for Kindle.

The menu for accessing the bookstore to download books couldn't be simpler. Moreover, the wireless feature works not on wifi, but rather via EVDO (a 3G- high speed type of cell phone service), so it doesn't matter if there is no internet service where you are located, so long as there is cell phone service, the Kindle's wireless feature will likely work.

The newspaper/magazine subscription service by itself makes the Kindle worth buying. For a fraction of the price of a printed periodical, Kindle will automatically download the newspaper, say the New York Times, at around 4 a.m. automatically, so it will be ready for you to read with your morning coffee.

Few products are flawless and Kindle is no exception. Some take exception to it's physical appearance. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and here maybe form follows function, but hey it works. Also, the screen is a grayscale, not color. Color E-Ink for readers exists only in prototype form; while it may come to market in the next couple of years, if you need an E-book reader now, I wouldn't hold off for that reason. Indeed, it really primarly affects the newspaper graphics, not your enjoyment of Moby Dick.

If you are a reader who wants to take several or even hundreds of books with you, but abhors the weight and bulkiness of carrying a small library, then the 10 ounce Kindle is a must have product. more info/purchase Amazon Kindle

(readers have told me the Kindle is on backorder, but it's delivered on a first come first serve basis so as Amazon ships you'll get your's sooner if you order now)

March 7, 2008

ZPower silver-zinc battery

Battery power has long been the Achilles heel of the consumer electronics industry. While everything from CPUs to mass storage devices have had almost geometric improvements in their power consumption and performance, the energy density of batteries used portable electronic devices has improved at a relatively plodding pace since the introduction of lithium-ion technology more than a decade ago. There is hope for improving this situation, however, from several companies.

One such company, ZPower, based in Camarillo, CA claims to have a remedy by using improved silver-zinc technology. The company says it will introduce a rechargeable silver-zinc battery this summer that will have "offer up to 40% more run time than traditional lithium-ion" batteries. In addition, the ZPower battery is apparently safer than present lithium-ion technology because it does not have the potential to spontaneously catch fire. New battery technology can't come soon enough. Keep your fingers crossed on this one.ZPower silver-zinc battery

iPhone update for suits

Not satisfied with grabbing 28% of the cell phone in 8 months (and 71% of mobile internet device market!), Apple announced that it is going to update the iPhone's software to accommodate corporate enterprise users. The updates include building Exchange server support for push e-mail, contacts, calender events and Cisco VPNsupport. This update, which will be out in June, is gunning for Rimm's BlackBerry market.I was hoping for news re the 3G iPhone, but today was for the suits, oh well.

Livescribe Pulse SmartPen

Livescribe is coming out with a unique pen product that not only can transfer your written notes to a computer, but also record audio and correlate it to a particular written note. For example, during a college lecture if the professor says "XYZ will be on the test" and the student simply writes "test", he can later tap that portion of the page with the SmartPen and it will replay what the professor said at the moment the student wrote "test." Also, musical notes written with the SmartPen can be translated into actual music when transfered to the computer.

Livescribe accomplishes this magic both by the features in the SmartPen and it's proprietary paper. The pen contains, in addition to ink, two microphones and an infrared camera that takes 70 photos per second. It has a Samsung ARM processor clocked at 150 MHz and a rechargeable lithium battery. This whole setup weighs in at only 1.3 ounces. The paper consists of microdots which form a grid to give the pen a point of reference. The 1 GB model is available for pre-order at $149 and will store 16,000 pages of notes. There is also a 2 GB model for $199. Both models have a 96-x18 OLED screen. There is no pricing on the paper as of yet.Livescribe

New Asus Eee PC 8.9 inch screen

Asus just introduced it's updated Eee PC, which it calls the Eee PC 900. The big improvement is a larger 8.9 inch screen (1024 x 600 resolution), while the overall size of the device is still the same. Also, internal storage of up to 12 GB is available and the device will come with Linux Xandros OS and is "Windows" ready. It will be powered an Intel Celeron-M @ 900 MHz (Silverthorne where are you???). It costs 399 Euros, so probably about $600 in the U.S. when it goes on sale in April.

32 GB iPod touch, to touch or not to touch?

Apple popped out a 32 GB capacity iPod touch last month and since then I've been debating whether to upgrade to it from my 16 GB model. Generally, I'm leery of paying for increased HDD memory on notebooks, but having had the 16 GB touch virtually since it's release, and being a bit of an iTunes video addict, upgrading is tempting.

The touch has a great screen, and I've found myself watching entire videos on it while sitting in cattle class, although I could have reached for my notebook (where my iTunes library is stored) from the overhead bin.

An iTunes library can easily be swapped in part when syncing to your computer, but it really is convenient to have the entire collection on the touch. I tend to buy videos (particularly TV shows) a season at a time, in part so I 'm not lacking for things to watch during the inevitable downtime at airports and on planes, but also because the download time from iTunes can be quite lengthy even with a supposedly fast cable connection.

And surprisingly, even for my modest collection, 16 GB doesn't go very far. Sooo, I'm going to make a command decision and here it is: if you have an 8 GB and you use it for video, you would be well served by going to the 32 GB (and sell your old one on Craigslist.org or give it to one of your undeserving friends). If you have the 16 GB already the choice is a bit tougher, not only because of incremental benefit of the upgrade, but also because the 3 G iPhone is supposed to be here in a few months, and assuming it also has 32 GB (or more), you could possibly kill two birds with one stone. If you want the 32 GB touch here it is:iPod 32 GB iPod Touch

Brunton Solaris 26 watt foldable solar array

The Brunton Solaris is a foldable solar cell charger which can be used to charge mobile products in the field, or at home when the power is out. With hurricane season coming I just got one. I'm hoping to avoid another situation (as happened in 2005) where I can't use my cell phone for a lack of a charging source if the power goes out for an extended period.

As the name suggests, the Solaris provides 26 watts of output and has connectors to charge a range of products, including a car battery (although given the time that would probably take, you'd probably end up naming your next kid Exide)! The array weighs 28 ounces and when folded measures 11 x 8.5 inches. If you want a smaller version it also comes in 12 and 6 watt packages. Amazon has the 26 watt model on sale for $282.60. Brunton Solaris 26 at Amazon

PayPal Security Key

This is a nifty little additional security measure for PayPal users. The device generates a different six digit code every 30 seconds which the user enters as a part of logging in to his or her PayPal account. The key costs 5 bones including shipping and handling and can be activated via ebay or PayPal. PayPal Security Key

Sony VAIO 11.1" Laptop- reel purrty!

Sony's contender in sub 3 lb. ring, is the VGN-TZ270N/B. While it's name sounds like it was the product of a government committee, it looks are straight from the fashion runway in Milan. Though it's under 3 lbs, the 11.1 inch screen arguably puts it in a different category, at least in terms of form factor, than the 13.3 screens found in the Apple Air and Lenovo x300.

Tipping the scales at 2.7 lbs and 1.17 inches thin, the VGN-TZ270N/B is sheathed in a carbon fiber case, and has the legendary Sony screen with backlit LED screen, which is becoming de rigueur, at least at in this thin air priced category.

Thankfully, Sony chose function over form, and put in a 120 GB HDD instead of a lower capacity SSD (I've said it before, that we'll have to wait until late this year or even into 2009 for SSDs to start becoming a viable alternative to HDD technology and price/performance basis). Notably, the device has WWAN installed. The VGN- TZ270N uses Sprint's mobile broadband service an it also comes with N wi-fi (in addition to a/b/g of course).

Powered by a Core 2 Duo U7700 processor, Sony claims the VGN-TZ270N/B (brother, that's painful to type) 4.5 to 8.5 hours of battery life, but as with all estimates of battery life take that with large grain of salt. It also comes with 2 GB RAM, an integrated fingerprint reader and a built- in webcam. The OS is Vista business. Graphics are handled by a stock Intel MGA 950. If you are partial to the Sony name, want a smaller form factor and are willing to pay up, this one is worth a serious look. Sony Vaio VGN- TZ270N/B

Fujitsu has a new tablet - sub-notebook on the market consisting of a 5.6 inch screen, a 40 GB HDD (4200 RPM) a gig of RAM, powered by an Intel A110 (800 MHz) processor. It runs Vista Premium which seems a bit of a heavy load based on these specs, but I haven't set my paws on it yet. It also has b/g wi-fi, a fingerprint reader and a 0.3 MP integrated webcam. It runs $949 at Amazon. If you need a device in this form factor with a rotating screen this is about the only only game in town.Fujitsu U810 at Amazon

The kick- Asus Eee PC- update

The Asus Eee PC has been out for a few months, but there are new developments to report. By way of background, the Asus is a 2 lb., 0.8 inch thick, 7 inch screen, 900 MHz Celeron processor, Linux OS device with 512 mb RAM and either 4 GB or 2GB SSD ( some people have been able to load XP on the 4 GB model, particularly when putting applications on an SD or SDHC card, but don't expect to be able do this with the 2 GB model). While it has no DVD drive, it does have lots of connectivity options including wi-fi b/g, ethernet 10/100, 3 USB ports and an SD card slot that can handle SDHC cards.In addition, it has a built-in webcam and a host of Linux applications, which by virtually all accounts are easy to use and functional. The product has developed an almost cult-like following, judging by the robust hacking community growth focused on the device.

There has been some grumbling about it's ability to maintain a wi-fi connection and about it's screen resolution (800 x 400), but I think it's fair to say that the consensus is that at 2 lbs and $399 (less for the 2GB model) the Eee PC is a game changer.

The news here is on several fronts. First an 8G SSD version is coming out shortly. Second, according to Slashdot.org an official XP loaded version is also on the way. This is not entirely a surprise, particularly as there already have been numerous clever hacks to mod the Eee into virtually a full fledged Windows machine. www.eeeuser.com Although, except for those truly comfortable with both software and hardware moding, I can't recommend trying out this at home. Third, a 8.9 inch screen version is also on deck, but apparently with the same 800 x 400 resolution. I'm also guessing that the platform will be upgraded to Intel's Silverthorne processor later this year, but that's just my rank speculation. The bottom line is that Asus' 2 lb. form factor can't be beat; and for the price, it's a no-brainer. Asus 4GB Eee PC at Amazon; Asus 8 GB Eee PC at Amazon

Lenovo X300, so sexy almost evil

Lenovo (formerly IBM's PC division) is out with an incredibly sexy 13.3 inch form factor sub-notebook weighing in at 2.93 lbs. Comparisons to the MacBook Air are inevitable (although it's a bit of apples to oranges given the differing operating systems), so here is the skinny: Lenovo is a few millimeters thicker, but you also get a DVD drive and 3 USB ports. Lenovo, like the MacBook Air, also has an LED blacklit screen.

Notably the only mass fixed storage option on the X300 is a 64GB SDD; there is no hard drive. I'm not sure why Lenovo chose this route, except that this is a flagship product so maybe they wanted the latest and greatest. I haven't put my mitts on this model yet, but if history is any guide, the X300 should be a rock solid piece of equipment with the best keyboard in the business.

Nokia N810 4.1 inch portable wi-fi tablet

Nokia popped out yet another mobile tablet type device, the N810. The N810 reflects Nokia's prior experience (it was early to the game) judging by it's 4.1 inch screen and slide out QWERTY keyboard, which is a lot of real estate to work on relative to the overall size of the device, particularly in light of it's sevlte 7.93 ounce weight. The stats are 2 GB internal, up to 8 GB via an SDHC card, 0.55 inches thin, Linux OS, wi-fi b/g. It also has GPS, which is still a rare feature in this category. Nokia N810 at Amazon

New MacBooks price out better than Dell?

SeekingAlpha.com has a piece out based on a Bear Stearns analyst report that the new Apple MacBook actually gives more bang for the buck than the Dell XPS M1330. Both are 13.3 inch screen form factors, with the same RAM, HDD size and graphics chip sets (the Intel X3100). However, the Apple is priced at $1099 versus the Dell product which is at $1119. And of course, the Apple has it's great OS as compared to the Dell which is loaded with Windows Vista. In all fairness, however, the Apple weighs in at 5 pounds versus the Dell at 3.97 lbs. SeekingAlpha.com

MacBook Air- 3 lbs. light and luscious

Apple's MacBook Air is, in a word, stunning. Ranging in thickness from 0.76 inches down to a wee 0.16 inches at it's thinnest, this sub-notebook is a marvel of form, yet it makes few sacrifices to function. Stuffed with a Core2Duo processor and an LED lit 13.3 inch screen, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB HDD, the new wifi N standard (in addition to b/g) for longer distances, the Air really is a full function laptop gone on a diet.

Of course, there are some trade-offs with this form factor. For one thing, the battery is not replaceable by the consumer, so if you're on an intercontinental flight and want to swap in an extra battery, no can do. Also, there is only one USB port, so choose your peripherals wisely. Notwithstanding these limitations, if you're seduced by the amazing Apple OS and need a fully functional notebook in thin and sexy form factor, this is one for you!

If you don't mind an extra two pounds the brand new MacBook or MacBook Pro may be the way to go. Also, although the Air has an optional 64 GB SSD (solid state drive) in lieu of the 80 GB HDD, I'd stick with the 80 GB HDD for now because the SSD is substantially more expensive, obviously offers less storage capacity and offers relatively small power savings/performance gains. SSDs are definitely up and coming but it's probably going to take at least a few quarters if not until late 2009 when they start to seriously challenge HDDs on a price/performance basis. more info/ purchase MacBook Air at Amazon

Heaven knows Sony's certainly had it's duds over the years, but the new Mylo COM- 2 Personal Communicator looks like a winner.The Mylo is about the size of a large (read late 1990s) cell phone, tipping the scales at 6.8 oz. It has a 3.5 inch screen, slide out QWERTY keyboard, 1GB of internal memory ( up to 8 GB more via a memory stick format card) and b/g wifi. The really outstanding feature here is that Mylo owners can get free internet use any Way Port Hot Spot locations http://wayport.know-where.com/wayport/ including, McDonalds and IHOP restaurants and over 600 hundred hotels across the U.S. This offer expires at the end of 2010, but hey that's several lifetimes given the the rapid evolution of mobile computing products!

The device works with Yahoo Messenger, AIM and not least of all Skype. Using the Skype application, the Mylo lasts for up to 6 hours of talk time, although take all estimates of battery life with a grain of salt.

In addition to it's communicator features, the Mylos is more than a serviceable MP3 player, supporting a variety of formats including AAC. The Mylo also features a 1.3 megapixel camera. There is an increasing amount of competition in this jack of all trades space, but if you're looking for an ultraportable, ultra-lost cost gateway to the net and don't mind doing your surfing in McDonald's, IHOP or Hertz, then this may be the tool for you. Sony Mylo at Amazon

New Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro

Apple refreshed it's MacBook and MacBook Pro lines this morning. The most significant change for the entire line is the shift to Penryn class Intel processors. These CPUs are manufactured using the 45 nm process, as compared to the older 65 nm process , and therefore they run faster, using the same or less power. According to Gizmodo, the new Macs get an additional 30 minutes to an hour of battery life depending on the configuration. Gizmodo.com

In addition the MacBook Pro line gets new LED backlighting for lower power consumption. Also, unique to the Pro line is the addition of the Multi-Touch trackpad, a la the iPhone. The new notebooks way 5 and 5.4 pounds for the MacBook and MacBook Pro, respectively.

The new MacBooks start at $1099 for a 13.3 inch screen, 2.1 GHz, 1GB RAM, 120 GB HDD configuration. The MacBook Pro line starts at $1999 which buys a 15.4 inch screen, a 2.4 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, 200 GB HDD and a NVIDA GeForce 8600 256 MB video memory. MacBook at Amazon; MacBook Pro at Amazon

Toshiba introduces 1.8 inch 5400 RPM 80 and 120 GB HDD

Toshiba Corporation announced that it was introducing 80 GB and 120 GB HDDs in the the 1.8 inch form factor . The big news here is that the rpm has been increased from 4200 RPM to 5400 RPM. Standing at only 8 millimeters tall and weighing in at a mere 62 grams, these new drives will allow further reductions in sub-notebook computer size while increasing storage and reducing access time. The revolution marches on! Toshiba press release