FeeVoo Laptop Components

Most Maximum PC readers have a hard time using netbooks

2010-05-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

Details are still a bit sketchy, but according to an Intel road map that was webcast late last week, it appears as though notebooks featuring the new parts could start shipping by Q2 2010, and will likely range between $400-$800. Performance is expected to fall into the "slightly more powerful than a netbook" but "slightly less powerful than a full featured notebook" range.

Market research firm iSuppli said in a statement on Thursday that they expect the ultrathin category to grow to 14.5 million units in 2010, a 93 percent increase from 2009. If you're on the market for a thin and light laptop that isn't running an Atom processor, you might want to hold out just a bit longer.

This category is typically a bit more profitable than netbooks, so we expect Intel to put forward a fairly competitive offering. The new chips will be made using the latest 32-nanometer process, and will offer power savings far beyond previous ultra portable offerings.

Most Maximum PC readers have a hard time using netbooks. We understand they serve a certain market, but when your used to getting more CPU cycles out of your over clock than an Atom can even produce, you tend to favor a more powerful mobile experience. If you fall into this category, you'll be relieved to know more ULV processors are on the way to fill out the slightly bigger than a netbook category, and the new Intel parts will fall under the Core i3 & i5 banners.

For other Laptop accessories information, you can visit here:Dell PA-12 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V,Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
HP Pavilion DV6000 AC Adapter bullet(HP pavilion dv6000)
HP Pavilion DV9000 AC Adapter bullet(HP dv9000)
Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter(PA3467U-1ACA)
Dell NADP-90KB AC Adapter(NADP-90KB)
Dell pa-16 AC Adapter(PA-16 )
Acer PA-1700-02 AC Adapter(PA-1700-02)

Samsung announced the availability of an eight gigabit (Gb) OneNAND

2010-05-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

The OneNAND chip design is able to read data at up to 70MB/s, which is more than four times the speed of conventional NAND (17MB/s). Combined with a low-voltage design and higher productivity over previous 40nm class chips, Samsung says it is particularly well suited for touchscreen devices and other high resolution smartphone features.

Samsung this week announced the availability of an eight gigabit (Gb) OneNAND chip built on a 30nm manufacturing process. According to Samsung, the higher density memory will pave the way for more features in smartphones, while at the same time driving down the overall cost.

"We are happy to see that our advanced 30nm-class NAND solution is being widely adopted in smartphones," said Sejin Kim, vice president, Flash memory planning/enabling, Samsung Electronics. "The availability of 3Gb OneNAND chip will add considerably to our diverse line-up of advanced mobile memory solutions."

According to Samsung, shrinking down to a 30nm manufacturing process allows the company to raise production by 60 percent over 40nm-class DDR3. And as far as consumers are concerned, the company's Green DRAM lowers power consumption by up to 30 percent over 50nm-class DRAM.
For more laptop accessories information on feevoo.com, or just visit here: Dell PA-12 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
HP Pavilion DV6000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
HP Pavilion DV9000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter(Input Voltage: 100-240V - 50/60HZ (Worldwide Compatible) Output: DC19V 3.42A Power: 65W )
Dell NADP-90KB AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
Dell pa-16 AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.16A)
Acer PA-1700-02 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.42A )

Intel produced a demo laptop with the new data interconnect

2010-05-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Intel hopes that Light Peak will eventually replace USB, DisplayPort, DVI, eSATA, and HDMI. The first generation of the technology should be capable of 10Gb/sec bidirectional data transfers. The current USB 3.0 standard is capable of only 4.8Gb/sec. "We expect to increase that speed dramatically. You'll see multiple displays being served by a single Light Peak connection." said Intel's Justin Rattner.

Intel has delayed the integration of USB 3.0 technology in their chipsets until sometime next year, and many feel this is a ploy to weaken USB, making Light Peak a stronger competitor. According to Intel, Light Peak will be available to manufacturers by the end of the year. Would you be ready to jump to Light Peak for your devices?

Intel hasn't had much to say about their Light Peak technology since it was first shown off at last year's Intel Developer's Forum. But now they've produced a demo laptop with the new data interconnect standard built in. In the demo, Intel fitted a standard USB cable with the Light Peak optical cables, and ran 2 HD video streams through it. The technology uses a 12mm chip at each end of the connection that converts light into computer bits.

USB SuperSpeed has been farting around for years now, at a snails pace. Very typical of these standards commitees and tech firm participants, USB should have leaped frog'd Firewire 800 long ago, but instead it's barely being adopted and/or it's being held back by the big movers and shakers. Is Intel protecting themselves and LightPeak?
For more laptop accessories information, you can visit papatek.com, or just visit here: Dell PA-12 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
HP Pavilion DV6000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
HP Pavilion DV9000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter(Input Voltage: 100-240V - 50/60HZ (Worldwide Compatible) Output: DC19V 3.42A Power: 65W )
Dell NADP-90KB AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
Dell pa-16 AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.16A)
Acer PA-1700-02 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.42A )

News MSI's GE600 Gaming Notebook worldwide review

2010-04-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

MSI's new notebook also features a scratch resistant chassis, illuminated touch sensitive hotkeys, a raised chiclet keyboard, wide touchpad, and a glossy exterior we imagine will act as a fingerprint magnet.

Not much has changed since our sneak peek several months ago, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The GE600 sports a respectable spec sheet consisting of an Intel Core i5 420M processor (2.26GHz), 4GB of DDR3 memory, 320GB hard drive, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 videocard with DX11 support, a DVD burner, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, 4-in-1 memory card reader, 1.3MP webcam, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

We first heard about MSI's GE600 gaming notebook at CES earlier this year, and at long last, MSI has begun shipping the 16-inch laptop to the North American market.

I do love this laptop tho. It really showed me what a good video card can do compared to my 7900gs SLI setup. I have a q6700 with 2 gigs of memory on that system. This is the C2D close enuff equivilant(sp?) with 6 gigs and a GTX260 with 1 gig dedicated. I bought Dawn of War II while I was there. On a friends Dell Laptop with a C2D cpu, 2 gigs of memory and a discreete 256mb 7900gs, I couldn't squeeze more than a 12fps out of it.
For more laptop accessories information, you can visit here: Dell PA-12 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
HP Pavilion DV6000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
HP Pavilion DV9000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter(Input Voltage: 100-240V - 50/60HZ (Worldwide Compatible) Output: DC19V 3.42A Power: 65W )
Dell NADP-90KB AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
Dell pa-16 AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.16A)
Acer PA-1700-02 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.42A )

Sony Prepares to Geeks the floppy disk

2010-04-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

According to Sony, who is the only remaining manufacturer of 3.5-inch floppies, production will end in March 2011 effectively killing off the technology once and for all. Inexpensive CDs, DVDs, and USB thumb drives are cited as key reasons why, but I'm sure everyone knew it was only a matter of time.

To Geeks the floppy disk is more than just an old storage medium indicative of days gone past, but instead is an icon of an era when you really needed to know your stuff to operate a PC. Motherboards required jumpers, IRQ settings were still important, and the world was a magical place where an entire lifetime of important documents finally fit on a plastic disk that could slip easily into your pocket. If like me and you harbor a bit of nostalgia for the vintage 3.5-inch floppies, you might want to pickup a box now before they disappear completely.

Global disk sales have dropped from 47 million a year in 2002 to just 12 million in 2009 and the drive itself hasn't been standard on most PCs since around 2003. I'm sure decades from now you'll still be able to find the odd person still booting off one, but don't count on seeing them at your local retailer past mid next year.

I almost never use it but once in a while it comes in handy for a BIOS update or some other arcane tool, not that there are not other ways to do it. I remember when they came out and replaced the 5" 360K floppys, that was a great advance in portrable storage technology then.
For more laptop accessories information, you can visit here: Dell PA-12 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
HP Pavilion DV6000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
HP Pavilion DV9000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter(Input Voltage: 100-240V - 50/60HZ (Worldwide Compatible) Output: DC19V 3.42A Power: 65W )
Dell NADP-90KB AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
Dell pa-16 AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.16A)
Acer PA-1700-02 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.42A )

HP Gets Subdued Response

2010-04-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

It's unlikely this first salvo will sink the unicorn pad, and we're not sure it needs to be sunk. There's still a lot to learn about the new tablet market. Would you consider purchasing the HP Slate? If not, what would you need to see in a tablet to convince you?

No one has seen much of the HP Slate until now. The ten seconds Steve Ballmer fumbled with it at CES 2010 don't really count as a debut, but someone at Conecti.ca has finally spent some real time with the device. Conecti.ca managed a quick hands-on and review. The verdict is a decidedly ambivalent one. Certainly not the response HP would have liked for their supposed iPad killer.

The HP Slate is a keyboardless touchscreen tablet with an 8.9-inch screen that rocks an Atom CPU. In every way that matters, it's a netbook without a keyboard. This is often cited as a strength, but the reviewers point out that it's also the Slate's biggest weakness. While it runs Flash and any Windows app you care to use, the touch interface on Windows 7 makes the device hard to use. HP has made a special finger-friendly graphical front-end, but much of the device's functionality is lost in it. The device also has a dock with HDMI, USB ports, and a kickstand.
For more laptop accessories information, you can visit here: Dell PA-12 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
HP Pavilion DV6000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
HP Pavilion DV9000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter(Input Voltage: 100-240V - 50/60HZ (Worldwide Compatible) Output: DC19V 3.42A Power: 65W )
Dell NADP-90KB AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
Dell pa-16 AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.16A)
Acer PA-1700-02 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.42A )

U.S. has launched inquiry into whether HP paid bribes to win a computer

2010-04-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is an investigation of alleged conduct that occurred almost seven years ago, largely by employees no longer with HP," HP said at the time. "We are cooperating fully with the German and Russian authorities, and will continue to conduct our own internal investigation."

According to the Journal, the SEC is looking into whether any of HP's actions might have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

"HP has been in communication with the SEC and will continue to fully cooperate with the authorities investigating this matter," a company representative said in a Thursday statement to CNET.

On Wednesday, HP said it was cooperating with the inquiries by the foreign regulators and said it is also conducting its own investigation.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has launched its own inquiry into whether Hewlett-Packard paid bribes to win a computer contract with a unit of the Russian government, according to a report on Thursday in The Wall Street Journal.

The move by regulators here follows reports on Wednesday that Russian investigators, acting at the request of German officials, raided HP's Russian offices. According to The Wall Street Journal, German prosecutors are investigating whether HP paid $10.9 million in an attempt to sell a sophisticated computer system to the Russian prosecutor general's office.
See more laptop accessories information on feevoo.com, or just visit here: Dell PA-12 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
HP Pavilion DV6000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
HP Pavilion DV9000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter(Input Voltage: 100-240V - 50/60HZ (Worldwide Compatible) Output: DC19V 3.42A Power: 65W )
Dell NADP-90KB AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
Dell pa-16 AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.16A)
Acer PA-1700-02 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.42A )
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Asus first showed off the Eee Keyboard

2010-04-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

In its original form, the Eee Keyboard didn't make much sense for anything. With the UWB technology, it has at least a shot at being a passable media center PC. The price is expected to be between $400 and $600. Anyone going to take one of these for a spin?

When Asus first showed off the Eee Keyboard , no one actually expected it to ship. It was more an exercise in engineering than a product people would buy. But after a number of delays, the Eee Keybaord is on its way to shipping later this month. Asus really promises to ship it this time, and we're willing to believe them for now.

The Eee Keybard is basically a netbook's chipset in a keyboard form factor. There is an integrated 5-inch 480x800 resolution capacitive touchscreen display in place of the number pad. It has an Atom N270 and runs Windows XP. Though, Asus has added a skin to XP making it more finger-friendly. Users will also find 1GB of RAM and the option for either 16 or 32GB SSDs. The real star here is the addition of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) for wireless audio and video. The Eee Keyboard will come with a small receiver to plug into a TV or monitor allowing the signal to be streamed from the safety of the couch.

It actually does like like the Mac keyboard with a small version of the display built in (and no resolution change either!). But I'm actually looking for a new keyboard now, but this is way to expensive... Any suggestions for a good keyboard? I'm thinking of getting the Logitech K305 (I think that's what it is).

See more laptop accessories information on feevoo.com, or just visit here: Dell PA-12 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
HP Pavilion DV6000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
HP Pavilion DV9000 AC Adapter bullet(Output: DC19V 4.74A
Power: 90W )
Toshiba PA3467U-1ACA AC Adapter(Input Voltage: 100-240V - 50/60HZ (Worldwide Compatible) Output: DC19V 3.42A Power: 65W )
Dell NADP-90KB AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
Dell pa-16 AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.16A)
Acer PA-1700-02 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19V 3.42A )
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Samsung's New Multi-Touch U250 review and description

2010-04-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

The U250 stretches the screen real estate to 23 inches with full HD support (1920x1080). It will also come with an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 processor, 500GB of storage, and the same GeForce G310M graphics as the U200.

Samsung today revealed a pair of all-in-one PCs, the U250 and U200, both of which will take advantage of Windows 7 by featuring multi-touchscreen displays.

Details are a little slim at the moment, but according to one source, the U200 will come with a 20-inch display with a 1600x900 resolution, Intel Pentium T440 dual-core processor clocked at 2.2GHz, 2GB of RAM, and Nvidia GeForce G310M graphics with 512MB of dedicated video memory, which should be enough for some light gaming.

The all-in-one PC segment is now experiencing its share of Windows 7-induced buzz. MSI has announced three new entrants into its Wind Top family of all-in-one PCs, all of which are based on Nvidia’s Ion platform and support Windows 7.

The 21.5-inch Wind Top AE2220 is all set to hit the market in late October, with the launch of the 20-inch AE2020 and the 21.5-inch AE2220 Hi-Fi expected next month. According to a Digitimes report, the AE2220 features full HD output besides HDMI and VGA ports for hooking up game consoles and other devices.

ASUS Eee PC 1001P with SeaShell news and review

2010-04-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Eee PC 1001P is a lower-cost version of the 1005PE Seashell and features a similar clamshell chassis but offers different lid designs. Our 1001P model comes with a textured weave pattern imprinted on the screen cover. The 1001P lacks some of the 1005PE's glossy flair, and its stylish island keyboard, but overall still retains a simple yet modern look.

The Eee PC 1001P SeaShell is ASUS's new entry-level netbook offering the Intel Atom N450 processor and Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics. Designed closely after its higher-class brother, the 1005PE, the 1001P offers many of the same features, minus the Chiclet-style keyboard, larger battery, and larger hard drive. In this review, we see how the 1001P stacks up against other netbooks and if it holds a candle to the more expensive 1005PE.

ASUS Eee PC 1001P SeaShell Specifications:

Windows 7 Starter Edition (32-bit)
10.1-inch diagonal WSVGA (1024 x 600, matte finish)
Intel Atom N450 Processor 1.66GHz (667MHz FSB, 512KB Cache)
1GB DDR2 SDRAM (800MHz)
Intel GMA 3150 integrated graphics
160GB Seagate 5400.6 SATA HD
Atheros AR2427 BGN Wi-Fi, Atheros AR8132 10/100 LAN
4-in-1 media card slot
Dimensions: (H x W x D): 0.89-1.40 x 10.2 x 6.9 inches
2.81 pounds (not including weight of AC adapter)
6-cell lithium-ion battery (4400mAh, 48Wh)
One-year standard warranty
MSRP: $299.99
Observant readers might notice that this review is similar to the Eee PC 1005PE's review. This is because the 1001P shares many of the same components with its predecessor.

The 1001P has a comfortable keyboard and is easy to type on. ASUS returned to a standard keyboard design like the 1005HA's, instead of a Chiclet-style keyboard on the 1005PE. The keys are slightly smaller than what you find on a full-size notebook, but once you adjust your typing strokes, it isn't much of a problem. I am not sure I would recommend using the keyboard on a daily basis as your primary input method, but for traveling or completing work in the classroom, it's just fine.

The 1001P offers the same port selection as the 1005PE. Namely, you get three USB 2.0 ports, a 4-in-1 media card reader, headphone and microphone jacks, Ethernet port, and the return of a standard VGA out port. Here is a quick tour around the Eee PC 1001P.

See more laptop accessories information on feevoo.com, or just visit here: Dell 06G356 AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC20V 4.5A
Power: 90W)
Outlet: 3-prong
Connecter size:
Special 3 hole tip )
Dell PA-1900-02D AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use) Output: DC19.5V 4.62A Power: 90W)
Sony VGP-AC16V13 AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V - 50/60HZ (Worldwide Compatible) Output: DC16V 4A Power: 64W )
Dell PA-1650-05D AC Adapter(Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A)
Dell PA-12 AC Adapter (Input: AC100-240V (worldwide use)
Output: DC19.5V 3.34A )
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Sony - VAIO Laptop with Intel Core i7 Processor review

2010-03-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

This laptop's double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with Blu-ray Disc support lets you watch high-definition Blu-ray movies and create personalized CDs and DVDs with ease. NVIDIA GeForce graphics deliver stunning visuals for movies and games.
Product FeaturesIntel® Core™ i7-720QM processorFeatures 6MB L3 cache and 2.8GHz processor speed with Turbo Boost Technology. The all new 2010 Intel® Core™ i7 processorFeatures 8-way processing for ultimate smart performance. Intel® Turbo Boost Technology delivers extra performance when you need it and increased energy efficiency when you don't. 6GB DDR3 memoryFor multitasking power, expandable to 8GB. Blu-ray Disc-enabled DVD±RW/CD-RW driveFeatures read support for Blu-ray Disc. Double-layer support using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media. Also supports DVD-RAM. 16.4" high-definition widescreen displayWith 1920 x 1080 resolution showcases movies, games and other images in rich detail. 500GB Serial ATA (5400 rpm)Offers spacious storage and fast read/write times. NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphicsFeatures 1GB dedicated video memory and up to 3831MB total available video memory. HDMI output for connection to an HDTV or HD monitor. Intel® High Definition Audio support with Dolby Home Theater. Action buttonsInclude play, pause, stop and assist for easy one-touch media control. Built-in MOTION EYE webcamWith microphone and face tracking technology makes it easy to video chat with family and friends. Multiformat media readerSupports Memory Stick PRO and Memory Stick PRO Duo with MagicGate functionality. Also features a Secure Digital media slot. i.LINK (IEEE 1394) port and 2 high-speed USB 2.0 portsFor digital data transfer and mobile digital imaging capabilities. Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g/n)To wirelessly connect to the Internet. Built-in stereo A2DP Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) interfaceEasily link with other Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as mobile phones or MP3 players. Built-in 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T Gigabit Fast Ethernet LANWith RJ-45 connector for a quick and easy wired Web connection. Weighs 6.9 lbs. and measures just 1.6" thinFor portable power. Backlit keyboard for easy typing in dark settings. Good battery lifeOf up to 3 hours. Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system preinstalledProvides a stable platform for word processing, Web navigation, gaming, media storage and more. Software package includedWith Microsoft Works SE 9.0, Sony Creativity Suite and more. 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 also included. Best Buy Software InstallerPersonalize your PC! Discover and install just the software and services you want. Learn more. ENERGY STAR qualifiedDesigned to use less energy and meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy.
For Sony ac adapter, or other

Eco-friendly phone charger review

2010-03-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

AT&T said the new charger is part of its effort to be more environmentally conscious. AT&T recently announced a transition to smaller and more eco-friendly packaging for wireless device accessories sold in AT&T stores. This change will eliminate more than 60 percent of the paper and more than 30 percent of the plastic previously used for AT&T's accessory products, the company said.

The amount of power that is consumed by individual phone chargers plugged into the wall is small. But when you add it up over a long period of time, it can be significant. For example, AT&T estimates that if 80 percent of the wireless subscribers left their cell phone chargers plugged into a wall for a year, their phones would draw enough electricity to power 24,000 homes for a year, or brew 3 to 4 million cups of coffee each day.

The wireless operator wouldn't specify which of its phone will use the Zero charger. But spokeswoman Jeannie Hornung said it will be available for AT&T's "most popular devices." Judging from the picture AT&T provided, it will work with at least some BlackBerry phones. And the USB interface could mean that it will be compatible with the Apple iPhone. Details about the phones that can use the charger will be available closer to the launch of the product, Hornung said.

The AT&T Zero Charger automatically senses when a mobile phone is not plugged up to the charger and it cuts the power supply from the wall socket. Other devices, including TVs, computers, and all kinds of home appliances, also draw power from the power grid when they are plugged in even if they aren't turned on. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that standby power makes up as much as 20 percent of home energy use in the U.S.

The new Zero Charger can also help environmentally-conscious wireless users stay green by reducing the number of cell phone chargers that eventually get thrown away. Because the Zero cell phone charger will work with many different mobile phones, eventually consumers will only need one charger for multiple phones. This could should reduce the number of chargers that end up in landfills and city dumps.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company was purchased to design system-on-chips for iPhones and iPods

2010-03-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

Apple did not respond to inquiries about whether Dobberpuhl was still at Apple. Several sources said Dobberpuhl's departure was not recent and may have happened as long ago as last fall or possibly before that. Sources said they believe Dobberpuhl has joined Amarjit Gill, a former PA Semi principal, at Silicon Valley start-up Agnilux. Dobberpuhl isn't alone. Other key PA Semi team members have left Apple, including one of PA Semi's leading members, Mark Hayter.

Apple did not respond to inquiries about whether Dobberpuhl was still at Apple. Several sources said Dobberpuhl's departure was not recent and may have happened as long ago as last fall or possibly before that. Sources said they believe Dobberpuhl has joined Amarjit Gill, a former PA Semi principal, at Silicon Valley start-up Agnilux.

Dobberpuhl isn't alone. Other key PA Semi team members have left Apple, including one of PA Semi's leading members, Mark Hayter. It is not clear if the PA Semi team hired by Apple contributed to the design of the iPad's A4 chip, which Apple describes as a "custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip."

Dan Dobberpuhl, the PA Semi founder and CEO who came to Apple with the acquisition of his company, has apparently jumped ship to work at a chip-related start-up.

Apple acquired PA Semi in April of 2008 for $278 million. At the time, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company was purchased to design system-on-chips for iPhones and iPods. Dobberpuhl was the leader of the team Apple hired.

Netbook Processor Planning in 2010

2010-03-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

Although AMD has had considerable success with its ATI graphics products recently, some industry watchers are skeptical of its ability to compete cost-effectively with Nvidia’s Ion platform, which already has significant market momentum. And by 2011, the netbook and nettop market may have changed substantially as tablet computing threatens to finally go mainstream.
So far, the netbook and nettop markets almost entirely been defined as systems built around Intel’s low-power Atom platform, with a few ARM-based devices creeping in around the edges. Now, chipmaker AMD seems to have decided that the netbook thing is more than just a fad, and has decided to release a processor in its Fusion line specifically targeting the netbook market. The first Fusion processors for netbooks are expected to arrive in early 2011.
AMD’s Fusion line aims to compete in the same territory as Intel’s Core 15 and i7 processors, combining multiple processing cores with integrated graphics systems from ATI. The line is currently divided into two branches: “Bulldozer” will be aimed at servers and desktop systems, while “Bobcat” targets notebooks. The netbook processor will likely be part of the Bobcat line and be a new part rather than a stripped-down, lower-power version of an existing processor.
Unlike the Atom, AMD plans its netbook offering to carry significant graphics capability so users looking for a robust gaming and multimedia platform won’t have to look for something with Nvidia Ion graphics tacked on. Reports atHardware Central and elsewhere have the chip targeting systems with 10- to 12-inch displays and consuming from 10 to 15 watts of power.
S

Entry-level Celeron notebook processor line

2010-03-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

Due out in the second quarter of this year, the P4500 will supplant the T3300. Unlike most other Celerons, however, the P4500 is built around Intel's 32nm Arrandale platform. It will come clocked at 1.86GHz per core, while the graphics will cruise along at 500MHz. You won't find any Turbo Overclocking on the P4500, though the graphics can be juiced to 667MHz.

Other features include DDR3-1066 support, 2MB of cache, and a 35W TDP. By comparison, the T3300 comes clocked slightly higher at 2GHz, but has half the amount of cache at 1MB.

A devoted overclocker by the name of “TiN” at Xtremelabs claims to have pushed the Intel Celeron-D 347 to an unthinkable 8.20 GHz. This beats the previous record by just 16.8 MHz. Preliminary reports indicate that the CPU did not melt into a pile of slag.

TiN claims to have reached these speeds using a specially modified DFI LanParty UT P35 motherboard, OCZ memory, and every overclocker’s friend – liquid nitrogen. This intrepid soul first had to remove the integrated heat spreader by heating the CPU to over 200°C before installing it into the board.

There are no benchmarks from the super Celeron, and no indication that they would even be all that impressive. Still though, it would be interesting to see just how much better this slow chip performed at an extreme clock. If you have an old Celeron lying around, maybe you won’t need to get that new Core i7 after all.

Clevo X8100 SLI laptop, the "world's most powerful i7 SLI gaming notebook

2010-03-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

Pricing starts at $2,500, which buys a Core i7 720QM processor, Nvidia GTX 285M graphics, 2GB of DDR3-1066 memory, 320GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. Given the nature of it's size and power I can easily suggest the Clevo X8100 notebook for a desktop replacement. There is nothing like raw, mobile gaming power at the tip of your fingers." says Misha Troshin, CMO and co-owner of AVADirect.

If you recall, June of 2009 we began to sell the Clevo M980NU. It was a Core 2 Duo based notebook with GTX 280's in SLI. It was a very exciting time for us as a boutique builder, because nobody out there had that type of product on the market. Now, we have the same chassis used by Clevo and a mobile Core i7 processor. Not only will this reduce bottleneck within the notebook, but increase performance up to 50%.

The Clevo X1800 boasts a generous 18.4-inch full HD (1920x1080) display, but it's the hardware underneath the hood that's most impressive. Buyers can configure up to a Core i7 920XM processor, one or two Nvidia GTX 285M graphic chips, up to 8GB of DDR3-1333 memory, and up to 3 hard drives or SSDs in a RAID 0 or 1 array. Other specs include 3 USB 2.0 ports, Firewire, an eSATA port, HDMI output, a 7-in-1 memory card reader, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 2.0MP webcam and of course Windows 7.

Intel might officially scoff at the thought of OEMs shoving Core i7 processors and X58 chipets into full fledged desktop replacement notebooks, but that hasn't stopped a handful of system builders from doing so anyway. The latest to enter the 'mobile' Core i7 fray is CyberPower, which today introduced its Xtreme S1 notebook.

Dell's new Studio 1558 Touch Notebooks review

2010-03-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

"These Studio 1558 and Studio 1749 laptops put the fun in functional," Dell's catalog reads. "The touchscreens let you scroll, pan, and zoom within a variety of applications, manage and edit photos and videos with TouchCam, and indulge your artistic side with YouPaint, all with a simple slide of your fingertips."
We're not sure why these haven't received any fanfare up to this point, but for those of you who like to get all touchy-feely with your notebooks, Dell's new Studio 1558 Touch and Studio 1749 Touch notebooks both beg to be groped.
Perhaps a press release is forthcoming, but for the time being, you'll find these models in Dell's online catalog. From what little we're able to lift, both come with a mobile Core i5 processor clocked at 2.4GHz, 3GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Home Premium.
Well looky here: an unannounced Studio Touch laptop making its debut on page 5 of Dell's on-line catalog. The Studio 1558 Touch is flanked by the multitouch Studio 17 Touch. You won't find any details about the 1558 on Dell's website or retail channels so what you see above is what you get: Core i5 processor underpinning a Windows 7 Home Premium OS and 320GB hard disk for a $999 starting price. Expect this one to get official soon enough.
Dell must have been offered a butt load of cheap touch screens over in China. It looks like the whole "touch here, oooh wow" gimmick might be interesting for about 30 seconds. Then the keyboard and trackpad take over. Come on Dell, either do touch the right way or leave it be. These half-assed implementations are a joke.

MSI this week beefed up its "Classic Series" notebook line

2010-02-26T18:49:00.000-08:00

The 16-inch CR600-234US notebook switches gears to a Pentium dual-core T4500, 3GB of DDR2 memory, 320GB hard drive, DVD writer, and Nvidia's GeForce 8200M G graphics. MSI this week beefed up its "Classic Series" notebook line with a trio of new 15.6-inch models built around Intel's Arrandale platform, and one 16-inch model with Nvidia graphics.
The CR620-030US and CR620-033US -- both 15.6 units -- sport a Core i3-330M processor and a 320GB hard drive, while the former also comes with a DVD burner and the latter a Blu-ray reader. The last of the 15.6-inch models -- CR620-031US -- ups the hardware ante with a Core i5 430M CPU and 500GB hard drive, though no Blu-ray option. All three models boast Intel's Arrandale HD graphics and 4GB of DDR3-1066 memory.
It looks like MSI hasn’t had their fill of laptops doning “Turbo” buttons, because their new GX623 and GX633 both pack the crazy feature aimed at boosting performance conveniently.
Both the GX623 and GX633 feature a 15.4-inch display, but they’re fundamentally different just about everywhere else. The GX623 features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and ATI Radeon HD4670 graphics, while the GX633 packs an AMD X2 Turion Ultra processor and Nvidia GeForce GT 130M graphics. They both feature 4GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 2-megapixel webcam.

Acer announced plans for an e-Reader

2010-02-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

It may be a small market, but perhaps Acer’s decision to pull its e-Reader out may have been influenced by a steady stream of product announcements--including Apple’s iPad. What was a market ripe for entry, with only Amazon’s Kindle offering any serious challenge, rapidly became crowded and intensely competitive. With the bar now higher, perhaps discretion is playing a greater role in Acer’s decision than market size.
What’s the old song: “you put your left foot in, you pull your left foot out”? Same holds true for Acer it seems, but instead of a left foot it’s an e-Reader that Acer put in and has now taken out.
About a month ago Acer announced plans for an e-Reader, which would debut about mid-year. Now it seems Acer’s had a change of heart and has decided an e-Reader is a no-go for it. Acer Chairman Wang Jeng-tang told reporters that Acer is still considering the possibilities, but as the e-Reader market isn’t that big it doesn’t make sense for Acer to step in at this time.
As Kenny Rogers once sang in The Gambler, "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to run." It looks like Acer has taken those lyrics to heart and rather than gamble on the e-book market, the second largest PC maker said on Monday it plans to walk away and watch from a distance.
The reason, says Acer chairman Wang Jeng-tang, is because the e-reader market is not yet all that big and there doesn't exist a proven business model. So even though Acer has the hardware ready, the company prefers to sit on the sidelines and see if the public embraces e-readers enough to make it a profitable business.

VGA-to-HDMI Adapter Powered Over USB review

2010-02-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

This device might come in handy if your looking to use an older laptop, or perhaps even a netbook with an HDTV, but don't expect any magic here we haven't seen before. The output can only ever be as good as the input. Atlona plans to begin shipping the AT-HDVieW by the end of the month.
Ever wanted to convert a VGA signal to HDMI? Well no, neither have I, but just in case you fall into this niche category of users you might be interested to know that Atlona Technologies has just launched a video switch/scaler that will accomplish all the aforementioned feats. The box is powered over USB, and will turn any VGA signal, regardless of its input resolution into full 1080p HD, and will even take care of the audio pass through.
Streaming Netflix, Amazon, and other video on demand services is such a huge waste of time if you own an HDTV. It looks like crap. With so much hi-def content available through cable, satellite and Blu-ray, why would anyone choose such a poor quality video source? When it comes to HD the internet is not ready for prime-time in America.
I'm kind of nitpicking here but when I want to game instead of joining the fam watching movies, they're using the HDMI, which leaves my box crippled. It's Kind of a hassle when I have tons of cables intersecting each other behind the desk. Old boxes that have dated video cards with no HDMI can definitely use this. Still, it's very hard to justify the price.

IBM stolen Intel's thunder with its new Power7 chip technology

2010-02-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

Power7 has another leg up on Itanium: it is already being used to construct what may be the fastest supercomputer in the world at the renowned National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois, a credible claim, considering the center's history--and IBM's, whose chips in the past have powered the world's fastest supercomputers.
The Blue Waters project supercomputer, housed in a special building on the Urbana-Champaign campus, will theoretically be capable of achieving up to 10 petaflops, about 10 times as fast as the fastest supercomputer today. (A petaflop is 1 quadrillion floating-point operations per second, a key indicator of supercomputer performance.)
One of the novel ways the University of Illinois is able to cram together the thousands of Power7 chips used in the Blue Waters supercomputer is by tapping a novel memory technology called eDRAM, or embedded dynamic access memory, for the level-3 cache memory.
Although both companies are touting dozens of other features--for example, better thread performance and improved scaling of workloads--IBM is taking a lead in marquee features for the lucrative high-end server market.
"While Intel is talking about a 2x [two-times] performance boost per chip, IBM is talking about almost an 8x [eight-times]," said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight64. "IBM has gone from two cores to eight cores per (chip). And each of the cores is roughly twice as fast as the [prior-generation] Power6," according to Brookwood, adding that IBM was already ahead of Intel to begin with.
IBM has stated that the chip's speed--between 3.5GHz and 4GHz--actually has a lower rating than the previous Power6 chip, which ran at 5GHz. "We have gotten performance from other spots, such as the dense eDRAM. We had to back off from the gigahertz in order to get eight of these cores onto the chip and not have it melt," according to McCredie.

Acer Aspire One AO532h-2Dr brief information and review

2010-02-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

The Aspire One AO532h-2Dr comes with a standard array of connectivity ports. On the left side of the chassis, you’ll find a power port, a VGA-out port, and two USB connectors. The right side sports a flash-card reader, a microphone jack, a headphone jack, another USB port, a lock slot, and an Ethernet jack. The system also features 802.11b/g/n wireless networking, as well as Bluetooth connectivity. There is no SIM-card slot, though, a feature we liked on the Asus Eee PC 1005PE.
The keyboard is 93 percent of full size. The Backspace, Tab, and Caps Lock keys are reduced in size, but the rest of the Chiclet-style letter keys are wide and have a comfortable key plunge. The keyboard flexes visibly during typing, however, which makes it look and feel flimsy. Also, the textured multi-gesture touch pad is small and sits dangerously close to the spacebar, which makes for a cramped feel. A narrow, single seesaw-style mouse button is metallic red and stands out against the glossy black wrist rest, which sits flush with the touch pad. The touch pad’s design and layout are nearly identical to that of the Asus Eee PC 1005PE, but the Asus pad is roomier.
On our benchmark tests, the Acer Aspire One AO532h-2Dr performed better than the average netbook and was just about even with the Asus Eee PC 1005PE and the HP Mini 5102. In our Windows Media Encoder test, the AO532h-2Dr converted a video file in 25 minutes and 39 seconds. Compare that with the HP Mini’s time of 26:30, and the Asus Eee PC 1005PE’s 26:15. While completing our iTunes test (converting 11 MP3 tracks to AAC), the AO532h-2Dr took 19 minutes and 22 seconds, which is just a little slower than the Asus Eee PC 1005PE’s time of 18:35, but cannot compare with the MSI Wind U210’s time of 8:29.
Like its closest competitors, the Aspire One AO532h-2Dr features integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics. Our 3DMark06 graphics test proved that the AO532h-2Dr, like most other netbooks, is not meant for even light gaming. With its score of 157 at its native resolution of 1,024x600, this unit is about even with the Asus Eee PC 1005PE’s and HP Mini 5102’s showings on this test. When measuring cooperative graphics and CPU performance with our Cinebench 10 test, the AO532h-2Dr yielded a score of 851, over 100 points above the average netbook and a bit higher than the Acer Aspire One AOD250’s score of 815.
The Aspire One AO532h-2Dr comes with Microsoft Works and trial versions of Microsoft Office and McAfee SecurityCenter. The system is also backed by Acer’s one-year limited warranty. While most netbooks offer similar fare, some, such as the HP Mini 5102, come with more extensive software.

Samsung showcased a couple of e-book readers with full QWERTY keyboard

2010-02-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

The E61 is effectively an E6 with a QWERTY keyboard. A 6-inch screen, removable battery, Bluetooth 2.0, and 802.11b/g WiFi are some of the features common to both the e-readers. There is no word on its release date or price.
Samsung showcased a couple of e-book readers, the $400 E6 and the $700 E101, at last month's Consumer Electronics Show 2010 in Las Vegas. Though neither is on the market yet, the company has bolstered its upcoming e-reader lineup by adding the E61, which features a full QWERTY keyboard.
The challenge for Samsung (and everyone else) is that just about everywhere you turn, someone is releasing an e-book reader. To stand out from the crowd, both of Samsung's upcoming units will come with handwriting capabilities, allowing users to write directly on the display with the built-in electromagnetic resonance (EMR) stylus pen.
We don't know when it's going to happen or who's going to do it, but someone's going to kill the Kindle. Or at the very least, many will try. That includes Samsung, who at CES announced two new e-book readers, the 6-inch E6 and 10-inch E10.

People don't usually associate IBM with video games

2010-02-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

The exhibit--which opened Friday and runs indefinitely--is powered by an IBM Smarter Data Center, part of the company's larger Smarter Planet initiative aimed at marketing green solutions to world problems. The campaign includes creating data centers equipped with highly optimized servers, storage, switches, and smart software to reduce companies' energy costs (up to 25 percent, IBM says).
Data center geeks attending the Epcot exhibit can also go inside the data center to see a demonstration of IBM Cloudburst, a scalable compute model that lets a data center rapidly deploy a workload.
Through one "match" game, guests will discover that more than 2 billion people are using mobile phones to open and use bank accounts for the first time; or that only 11 percent of the United States money supply is cash; or that by unplugging household appliances while not in use homeowners can save cash, up to $286 every year. From the same kiosks, guests can take a poll and compare their answers with those of other visitors.
Another game, called Runtime and created by Disney, lets players personalize their avatars and run, jump, and dance through a computing time line that journeys through the Babbage computer all the way to the Internet, spotlighting IBM's achievements along the way. Guests can also e-mail their personalized version of the game to any computer in case they want to dance through the evolution of the ThinkPad at home.
People don't usually associate IBM with video games, but a couple of interactive games now rigged up at Florida's Epcot theme park have Big Blue's stamp all over them. They're part of the revised "Smarter Planet," an experiential exhibit aimed at highlighting how technology is helping to ease global problems such as road traffic, city crime, and subpar local water supplies.
In addition to powering the Epcot exhibit, the Smarter Data Center will donate unused computing resources to the World Community Grid, a distributed-computing project that harnesses idle computer time to assist research for Muscular Dystrophy, cancer, AIDS, and other medical and environmental causes.

Caltech have come up with a power-generating rubber material

2010-01-31T19:49:00.000-08:00

The scientists--who detail their findings in the new issue of Nano Letters, a journal of the American Chemical Society--say the rubber sheets could one day appear in shoes that power cell phones and other mobile electronic devices as the user walks or runs.
For example, the biocompatible material could be placed next to a person's lungs and utilize breathing motions to power pacemakers, the scientists say. That could reduce the need for surgery to replace batteries in the device.
We've heard of other gadgets that can be powered by kinetic energy, including the Dance Charge, which is strapped around the arm and powered, as the name suggests, by dancing. Still, it can be hard to significantly power devices through movement alone. M2E Power, one company that had designed and tested a human-powered charger for cell phones and other gadgets, sold its assets to Motionetics last year and changed its focus to the vehicle market.
The Princeton/Caltech researchers say they're hopeful about their method; they maintain that PZT is the most efficient of all piezoelectric materials, able to convert 80 percent of the mechanical energy applied to it into electrical energy. For their product, the PZT is made into nanoribbons so narrow that 100 fit side-by-side in the space of a millimeter.
The material is made from nanoribbons composed of lead zirconate titanate, or PZT, a ceramic substance that's "piezoelectric," meaning it generates an electrical voltage when pressure is applied. The "piezo-rubber chips" are embedded in clear silicone rubber sheets that produce electricity when flexed.

Asus' Eee Tablet will tap into Tegra

2010-01-28T19:36:00.000-08:00

Like MSI's unit, Asus' Eee Tablet (or whatever it will be called) will tap into Tegra, and specifically Tegra 2. But it will also sport a dual-core ARM Cortex 9 based processor with support for multitasking. In other words, you can expect a fairly powerful tablet capable of full 1080p HD playback, which makes the HDMI connector a most welcome addition.
What we don't know is how much it will cost, and probably won't have those details until CeBit, which kicks off in early March. If you follow trends at all, then it's not too hard to figure out what the current one is. In recent times, first it was netbooks that stole the show, followed by e-book readers, and now tablet PCs are all the talk. Enter Asus, who along with MSI (see here), has no intention of letting Apple corner the market.
All the press releases for tegra 2 indicate nvidia is targeting Adroid based tablets and phones for the platform, and choosing ARM processors definately supports that assumption, since windows OSes don't really do well in that market. Assuming that this thing is even powerfull enough to run Windows 7 (dont even think about Vista's fat a$$). XP might not be a bad choice, cuz its still better than what the i(Maxi)Pad can do because it would be a full OS not just a little application platform.
Running a full fledged OS, this could have all the usability of the Apple slate in software. I still think Apple shoudl sell their software. Imagine how well an iPhone/iPad/iPod touch emulation software would do. You could let other companies build the hardware, and still have you locked down app store if people WANTED to use it.

AMD's Desktop will be revealed on 2011

2010-01-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

It looks like AMD plans to release the “Leo” platform later this year with a 6-core 45nm process. This would be in competition with Intel’s Clarkdale CPUs at 32nm. The Leo is slated to be replaced with the 32nm Scorpius platform in 2011. This platform would apparently be equipped with a “next-generation discrete graphics solution”, Bulldozer Zambezi CPU, and up to eight cores. We will also see the mid-range Lynx platform in 2011 with "next-generation integrated graphics". Could this be what happened to Fusion?
The Asian press got a sneak preview of AMD’s processor roadmap at the launch event for the new Phenom II and Athlon II chips. It’s no secret that AMD has been lagging behind rival Intel, but if the slides are to be believed, AMD could still come back.
Sure, this is just a quick presentation of a theoretical roadmap, but maybe AMD has an ace up their sleeve. If the Leo platform make the scene in 2010, that will be a good start.
The new processors include Athlon II X2s in 2.7GHz and 2.8 GHz, four Athlon II X3s ranging from 2.2 GHz up to 2.9 GHz, and Athlon II X4s at 2.2 GHz and 2.3 GHz. All of the processors pull 45 watts, except for the 2.7 GHz and 2.9 GHz X3s which draw 95 watts. All of the new Athlon IIs are manufactured using 45-nanometer dies.
AMD claims the 2.8 GHz X2 will perform up to 70 percent better on media and entertainment benchmarks than an Intel Core 2 Duo E7400, while the 2.9 GHz X3 shows a 75 percent performance jump over the Intel Core 2 Duo E8500. Overall, AMD says these new processors will offer “superior competitive value for mainstream consumers in productivity, HD video, and 3D gaming.”

PC Gamers are Flocking to Windows 7

2010-01-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

We know these numbers will continue their march upwards over the next few years at a fairly health rate, but one demographic is breaking the adoption mold, that group is PC Gamers. According to the December Steam hardware survey, Windows 7 accounts for nearly 23% of all Steam users when you add up both the 32 & 64 bit varieties. Vista by comparison sits at around 31%, but that gap is pretty small when you consider that it has a three year head start over Windows 7. As for trusty ole Windows XP, it continues to hold the lead with a commanding 45% share, but is losing ground even faster than Vista.
Here at Maximum PC, we love Windows 7. Its snappy, riddled with handy new features, and is the most stable version of the OS to ever come out of Redmond. Regardless of how much fame and positive press it racks up however, we know it will take years for the majority of consumers and businesses to fully make the switch. Overall market share numbers pegged the OS at around 3.6% in November, with a slow but steady climb to around 6% in December.
If you haven't checked out the Steam hardware stats before, it gives a really interesting insight into the PC Gaming hardware landscape, and is definitely worth checking out. For example, a quick glance at the spread shows the average processer speed is 2.5Ghz, and despite ATI's commanding price/performance lead, Nvidia holds over 65% of the market share compared to ATI's 30%. Its a quick and easy way to see where your system ranks against your fellow gamers.
Intel CPU speeds are higher than AMD CPU speeds, although I think that's having to do with people still having Pentium 4s. If they had a P4 for this long, then surely they must have melted from the heat!

Mini-projector-integrated will be available on HP Notebooks

2010-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

According to Monty Wang, vice president and manager of personal computing systems group at HP Taiwan, Quanta Computer will build the upcoming notebooks, and will most likely plop the projector on top of the notebook's display, right where the webcam would normally be.
Maybe pricing is just now starting to make them a viable option, but integrating mini-projectors into notebook PCs seems like a natural fit, and that's exactly what HP plans to do. HP also plans to launch a bunch of standalone mini-projectors in the coming months as a precursor to integrating them into notebooks.
According to Monty Wang, vice president and manager of personal computing systems group at HP Taiwan, Quanta Computer will build the upcoming notebooks, and will most likely plop the projector on top of the notebook's display, right where the webcam would normally be.
Wong believes that HP is unlikely to push non-Wintel products aggressively in the short term since these products are still have issues in software compatibility with Windows-based applications. Additionally, the segment is susceptible to fluctuating consumer demand and therefore needs to be carefully evaluated. Hewlett-Packard (HP) is planning to push two major PC systems for 2010 - tablet PCs and notebook with integrated mini-projectors, according to Monty Wong, vice president and manager of personal computing systems group at HP Taiwan.

HP will release “Wall of Touch” 9-Screen

2010-01-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

HP plans to make the “wall of touch” a mainstream product. HP says it will be available to consumers in 2011. The price tag, depending on options, will range from a couple thousand dollars up to $100,000 or more. The “wall of touch” is basically a really big TV. HP says the system can access cable and satellite, as well as download and stream media. It connects to social networking sites. And it plays DVDs and DVRs.
The “wall of touch” is driven by a Z800 workstation, employs a standard touchscreen interface, as well as a gesture-capture interface. Gestures are picked up by optical cameras and a magnetic strip that detect when a user nears, and the movements of the user's hands.
As the marketplace is pushing for smaller and smaller, Hewlett-Packard (HP) is bucking the trend with bigger. HP recently demonstrated a new design, which it has dubbed the “wall of touch”, built with up to nine 43-inch to 46-inch, 1.5-inch thick LCDs with 1080p resolution. It behaves like a really big TouchSmart computer.
The TX2’s multi touch interface will work with any program that already supports multi touch, as well as with HP’s integrated MediaSmart media suite. The laptop features an array of gestural controls, including all of the multi touch standards, like pinch-zooming and two finger rotation, as well as the ability to open MediaSmart at any time by drawing an “m” on the screen with both fingers. The screen uses capacitance-based touch detection and is designed to accept input either from the pad of a finger or from a built-in digital pen.
With a 12.1 inch screen and weighing in at 4.3 pounds, the TX2 is physically nearly identical to its predecessor, the TX2000. The only thing differentiating the two visually is the TX2’s glossy, charcoal-colored finish and “Reaction Imprint” design. Y

Dell the "Froot" does away with a traditional monitor and keyboard

2010-01-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

Its hard to imagine something like this being anything more than a niche product for our audience, but it certainly makes you wonder, will we ever become so comfortable with touch typing that physical keyboards as we know them today would become an unnecessary eyesore for the mainstream consumer?
Dell, among other PC OEM's is always looking for the next big thing in PC form factors, and industrial designer Pauline Carlos thinks he has just the thing. The "Froot" does away with a traditional monitor, as well as the keyboard and mouse. The device itself contains a pair of projectors, one which takes care of the user interface, and a second one on the back of the unit to project a keyboard.
When my hands hit a phyiscal keyboard they are still trained to locate the little bumps on the j and f keys letting me know that I am on the home row. I really do wonder how hard it would be to type on a keyboard not knowing where the home row is just by touch.
A fully functional computer sits inside the QWERTY keyboard, and several ports run along the top edge, including two USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, and audio in/out ports. The sub 2-pound keyboard also sports an integrated microphone and speakers, and comes equipped with WiFi capability and support for Ultra-wideband wireless HDMI.
The laundry list of features doesn't stop there. On the side of the keyboard, Asus has installed a mini touchscreen. SlashGear spent some hands on time with the prototype and says the main menu grants access to the calendar, photo gallery, media player, and an internet browser, in addition to other usability apps.

"World's First" Touch Screen Gaming Notebook is now Available

2010-01-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

We believe multi-touch compatibility is the future of mobile gaming," said Darren Su, Vice President of iBuyPower. "We are proud to be the first company to market with a multi-touch gaming notebook and look forward to all the new multi-touch games due out this year."

The customizable Battalion Touch comes standard with an Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 processor, 2GB of DDR3-1333 RAM, ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics, a 250GB hard drive spinning at 5400RPM (7200RPM available for $11 more), 3X DVD burner, 3-in-1 media card reader, 802.11a/g/n Wi--Fi, a 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Boutique system builder iBuyPower this week announced the availability of what the company claims is the planet's first ever multi-touch gaming notebook, the Battalion Touch CZ-10.

"Availability," in this case, means you can pre-order the unit, but you won't have to wait very long. iBuyPower says it will begin shipping the CZ-10 starting on January 22, just over a week from now.

The company began shipping the XT tablet sans any multi-touch in December, 2007 but with an assurance that the feature would be added at a later time. It is very strange how some websites are highlighting the fact that the update is free. They shouldn’t forget that Dell hasn’t done a terrific job justifying XT’s exorbitant price – prime example of thickly veiled language – and the unavailability of the tablet’s purported forte for 6 months after launch implies that the company owes a favor or two to XT owners.

USB 3.0 is available on HP laptop

2010-01-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

HP spokeswoman Sheila Watson said Tuesday that the company is shipping certain Envy 15 configurations with the USB 3.0 ports. "HP Direct (our online store) does now sell the Envy 15 with the USB 3.0 along with the new ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5830 Graphics (DX11)," she said in response to an e-mail query Tuesday, referring to the mobile Radeon graphics chip from Advanced Micro Devices' ATI unit.

And USB 3.0 will be available on EliteBook--HP's high-end business laptop line--8540p and 8540w models "in a couple of weeks," according to Watson.

The HP Envy 15 with USB 3.0 ports debuted last week at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. That news left some CNET readers questioning whether the USB 3.0-equipped Envy models were actually shipping, as some HP salespeople, readers said, weren't yet aware of the USB 3.0 ports on new models.

Watson said consumers can get an Envy with USB 3.0 "if you configure it with the new ATI 5830 graphics and quad-core i7 processor." Hewlett-Packard has begun shipping some Envy 15 laptop configurations with USB 3.0 technology, becoming one of the first PC makers to do so. The new "SuperSpeed USB" 3.0 standard is touted as achieving up to 10X the data transfer rate of USB 2.0, the standard that has been shipping on laptops for the last eight years or so.

Even the External Hard Drives designed for USB3 cant even cope with 1/2 the data flow that USB3 can offer. So while they might be twice as fast as USB2, its a long way from the touted 10x speed. The Envy 15, which HP touts as the world's thinnest quad-core laptop, isn't the only notebook in HP's lineup to receive the USB 3.0 treatment. Watson says the SuperSpeed port will also soon find its way onto its EliteBook 8540p and 8540w models "in a couple of weeks." The EliteBook is HP's high end business laptop line.

Still, doesnt hurt to have forwards compatibility as long as its not costing too much extra. However, i suspect this laptop will be out of date & you will be looking to buy a new laptop by the time USB3 is as common as USB2

IBM has earned the most US patents

2010-01-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

IBM will even be offering training sessions on how to build and leverage patent portfolios. “We are making our IP (intellectual property) know-how and patent management software available because clients have increasingly approached IBM for insight into how to effectively establish and manage their own patent and IP portfolios,” said IBM’s Manager of IP, Kevin Reardon. Maybe these products are just the gift for the entrepreneur in your life.

You might not go down to the local electronics store and buy an IBM computer anymore, but Big Blue is far from gone. For the 17th consecutive year, IBM has earned the most US patents of any company with 4,914. The next closest was Samsung with 2,906. Together with this year’s acquisitions, IBM’s mountain of patents numbers more than 30,000.

The sheer volume of IBM patents may have even created an entirely new business. IBM will begin selling a patent management software suite to companies keen on being the next IBM. The software will help businesses survey their patent holdings and target opportunities for new patents.

Just one of the patents IBM earned for the year was given to Big Blue inventor John Gunnels for an invention to ensure that the internal communications network for the company's Blue Gene supercomputer is running properly.

With almost 5,000 under its belt for the year, IBM now owns more than 30,000 U.S. patents. The company noted that in addition to its 2009 patents, it published almost 4,000 technical inventions and products without patent protection last year, all of them freely available to others as a means to kick-start greater innovation in the business world.

World's First Desktop Keyboard for the iPhone review

2010-01-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

The battery-powered iTYPE features a standard QWERTY keyboard with full-sized keys. That is where the technical information ends. It is unknown whether the keyboard connects wirelessly to the iPhone (it appears to be a docking mechanism), or what technology lies beneath the keys.

ION released the first desktop keyboard designed exclusively for use with the iPhone. While ION is an unlikely company to be releasing this product due to their history in consumer audio products, iPhone users have been craving a product like this for some time. Though, ION was skimpy on the details.

Since the iPhone doesn't allow messing with the internal keyboard app I heard you have to type with this thing and Paste it in to the iPhone. Super lame. If the voice to text was as good as the Nexus One you wouldn't need this. I know BT keyboards aren't very common, but I have a nice, tiny folding one that I use with my Blackberry and Nokia N800. It works very well and has helped me quickly type many an email.

However, if you can forgive the lack of information, the product could be great if executed well. The iPhone can handle most of a commuters technology needs, but touch-typing can be a pain for some.

The conceptial keyboard/mouse hybrid is a design that attempts to fuse both input devices into a single product. Underneath the keyboard would sit an optical sensor for tracking the keyboard's movement, and low friction pads purportedly make it easy to nudge the peripheral around your desk space. Let's break this one down.

Panasonic collaborated with Tesla Motors to develop nickel-based lithium ion battery cells

2010-01-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

Panasonic will be collaborating with Tesla Motors to develop next-generation nickel-based lithium ion battery cells for electric vehicles, both companies announced Thursday.The deal should not be much of a surprise to those who follow these two companies.

While Panasonic is probably most famous for its TVs, the company is also a leading manufacturer of battery cells for electronics. In his December conversation with Bloomberg, Ohtsubo said that Panasonic planned to expand its interests in lithium ion batteries for cars, as well as solar panels, smart appliances, and home energy monitoring systems.

"Combining Tesla's rigorous cell testing and understanding of EV requirements with Panasonic's cutting-edge battery technology will result in custom cells optimized for use in EVs," JB Straubel, Tesla's chief technology officer, said in a statement.

It seems that when Panasonic President Fumio Ohtsubo said in December that his company would invest $1 billion in green technologies for the home, he may already have had a deal in the works for the garage.

Panasonic also announced Thursday that it's halfway through a 3-year project to overhaul its lithium-ion battery cell research and production facilities companywide, including a completely new plant scheduled to open in Suminoe, Japan, in April. The company said the entire overhaul represents about a $1 billion investment.

Apple will announce its mythic tablet PC, Lenovo's announced Skylight Smartbook

2010-01-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

Explaining the purpose behind the Lenovo Skylight, Ninis Samuel, marketing director at Lenovo said "To match that demand and growth, the consumers want innovative devices that can connect to the Internet and multimedia on the go." One article on the speculation around the Apple tablet PC said "Offering a tablet PC would help Apple capitalize on demand from consumers for devices that can surf the Web and play movies and music."
It used to be much simpler to choose. Desktop computers stayed on a desk. Laptop computers were portable and sat on laps. Mobile phones made phone calls. Now, the variety of options just in the portable computer arena is staggering.

There are smartphones--mini computing platforms disguised as phones, smartbooks--Web surfing and multimedia devices disguised to look like a smartphone, netbooks--mini notebooks for an even more portable Web-based computing experience, notebooks--the power and versatility of a desktop computer you can carry with you, and tablet PC's--notebook or netbook equivalents that don't have to be unfolded.

According to a rising chorus of rumors, Apple will announce its mythic tablet PC, possibly dubbed the iSlate, later this month. Combined with Lenovo's announcement of Skylight Smartbook, and its upcoming IdeaPad U1--a hybrid notebook and tablet PC, consumers may have a hard time making sense of the overlapping array of available gadgets.

The array of possibilities has its up sides as well, though. Businesses that rely on Web-based applications, or provide remote access to applications on the internal network can save money by arming road warriors with netbooks instead of notebooks.

Smartbooks may provide businesses with a lightweight platform with smartphone-like battery life that allows roaming workers to stay in touch with Web-based e-mail using the vast multitude of free WiFi hotspots without the additional expense of the wireless service required for smartphones.

CyberPower announced it has completely redesigned its Black Mamba custom gaming machine

2010-01-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

CyberPower's not kidding about the overhaul. Everything about the Black Mamba has been replaced or rejiggered, including the chassis, which now consists of Corsair's Obsidian 800D enclosure.

On the inside, the Black Mamba now comes equipped with the new Xtreme Hydro custom cooling kit, Intel's still flagship Core i7 975 processor, Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P motherboard with "the latest special BIOS that allows for improved overclocking and support for...Gulftown that will be released" next year, a pair of Radeon HD 5870 graphics cards, two 64GB Kingston SSDs in a RAID 0 array, and plenty of other goodies.

The redesigned Black Mamba doesn't come cheap, with the base MSRP set at $3,800. Yikes, someone pass the anti-venom. Boutique system builder CyberPower today announced it has completely redesigned its Black Mamba custom gaming machine, which the company describes as "the cornerstone of the Fang Series."

"The Fang series with Venom incorporates a special BIOS to allow for higher overclocking," CyberPower stated in a press release. "The BIOS supports real-time readings of CPU speed and additional options for QPI signal and CPU Clock Skew features, all of which improve overclocking capability."

On the higher end, the configurable Black Mamba Venom comes standard with Intel's just-released Core i7 975 Extreme Edition processor factory overclocked to 4GHz, and EVGA X58 Classified or Gigabyte X58 Extreme motherboard, 6GB of tri-channel DDR3 memory, a pair of 300GB Velociraptors in a RAID 0 array with a 1TB hard drive for storage duties, two Nvidia GTX 285 videocards in SLI, and a 6X Blu-ray writer all housed in Cooler Master's Storm Sniper chassis.

Computer Hacker Pleads Guilty

2009-12-30T19:45:00.000-08:00

According to authorities, Gonzalez worked as a computer security consultant and was the ringleader of a group that targeted large retailers. Gonzalez had a chance to set his life straight when, in 2003, he was arrested for hacking but not charged because he agreed to become an informant. But over the next five years, authorities say he still hacked into computer systems of retailers, collecting $2.8 million for his illegal efforts.

As part of the plea deal, Gonzalez will forfeit more than $2.7 million in cash, plus several assets, including his condo, his car, a Tiffany ring, and several Rolex watches. "This is a young kid who did some reckless things and he's going to pay a price for it," said Gonzalez's attorney, Martin Weinberg, after his 28-year-old client calmly answered guilty to charges of conspiracy and wire fraud.

At one point in his life, Albert Gonzalez used to serve as a federal informant in Miami. And now? Gonzalez will serve anywhere between 17 and 25 years in prison under terms of separate plea agreements for his role in orchestrating the theft of millions of credit and debit card numbers by hacking into computers of prominent retailers, according to an AP report.

Officials say that the spies – thought to be from Russia, China and other countries – only wanted to take stock of the American electrical infrastructure and intended no immediate harm. "There are intrusions, and they are growing," a former Department of Homeland Security official told the WSJ.

Both the Russians and Chinese have rebuffed the allegations against them. It is difficult to ascertain whether or not these cyber-saboteurs are acting at the behest of a foreign government.

More than 33.3 million netbooks will have shipped by year’s end

2009-12-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

The report also suggests that the uptick in ULV sales will likely mean manufacturers will take a revenue hit of only 1% or so. While netbooks will remain big sellers, they probably won’t have another year like 2009.

For as long as netbooks have existed, people have been buying more and more of them. More than 33.3 million netbooks will have shipped by year’s end, amounting to a 103 percent increase over last year. Revenue will be up about 72 percent indicating some price cuts. But according to DisplaySearch, as laptops with ultra low voltage (ULV) CPUs become cheaper, netbook sales will slow considerably.

They project netbook shipments to only grow by about 20 percent next year. Still, the situation can’t be bad when 20 percent growth is a big drop. As ULV laptops creep below $500, consumers will begin purchasing them in larger numbers. ULV computers have similarly good battery life, but better performance than netbooks running Atom chips.

But a spike in netbook shipments doesn’t imply that it would be smooth sailing for Google’s Chrome OS. “Google must counter the high visibility of the Microsoft brand name on countless products in retail outlets, ranging from software, to PCs, to peripherals,” iSuppli advised Google.

Google must be pleased to see the market for 3G netbooks swelling at a time when it is preparing to launch Chrome OS. Market research firm iSuppli anticipates 3G netbooks – those with embedded wireless broadband – to become even more popular in the next few years, as always-on internet becomes an integral part of the whole netbook experience. iSuppli expects 3G netbook shipments to increase by over 70%, as compared to the previous year, to reach 17.8 million units this year.

Apple has rented a stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

2009-12-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

According to The Financial Times, Apple has rented a stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco for several days late in January. Citing "people familiar with the plans," TFT says Apple will use the venue to make a major product announcement., which likely will center around the mysterious tablet.

"We believe there is a 75 percent likelihood that Apple will have an event in January and a 50 percent chance that it will be held to launch the Apple Tablet," said Piper Jaffray, an analyst with Gene Munster. "If Apple announced the tablet in January, it would likely ship later in the March quarter."

To be perfectly honest, we're tired of hearing about Apple's tablet, which thus far has consisted of one rumor after another without any confirmation from Apple. That's going to change next month, or so we hope.

It’s almost surreal, the experience surrounding reporting on Apple’s rumored tablet. Firstly, because there is no such device. Apple, in fact, denies it exists. And there is no credible third-party evidence to suggest otherwise. But that doesn’t stop supposed smart guys in technology reporting to maintain otherwise. And, to top it off, conclude it is (not will be) the coolest thing ever.

Also on the Apple tablet bandwagon is Dan Ackerman, a senior editor at CNET. According to Ackerman: “Apple will come out with the tablet and blow everyone away. Instead of taking along a Kindle and an iPod, [it] could become the device you carry with you.”

Not everyone is impressed, however. Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with Yankee Group, says such devices are only good “for ad-hoc purposes, like quick and dirty tasks. There’re not for any prolonged, high-performance use.” It’s not only praise but damnation for a product that doesn’t yet, or may ever, exist.

BenQ will join E-Book Market

2009-12-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

BenQ will also push out its e-book trading platform in Janaury. This will consist of over one million books available as free downloads, as well as anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 new titles, 6,000 others in simplified Chinese, and about 30,000 Japanese language books.

Wang says he expects the e-reader market to jump to over three million units in 2009 and up to eight million in 2010. Of those, BenQ is hoping to ship 50,000 nReaders in Taiwan, 200,000 in China, and 300,000 globally, Wang added. No word on when or if BenQ plans on pushing its nReader to the U.S. market.

A few more details have emerged regarding BenQ's upcoming e-book reader, which the company will call the nReader. In addition to launching the nReader in Taiwan next month, BenQ will push its device to China in February and then Japan in the second half of 2010, company president Jerry Wang said.

BenQ will have on display a 6-inch e-reader with a touchscreen EPD (electrophoretic display) panel. According to news and rumor site DigiTimes, BenQ will release its digital reader in January 2010, and then follow up that launch with more models in April, including a 9-inch reader.

For Fujitsu's part, the company plans to show off its 8-inch FELPia e-book reader, and there's talk that it might release the device in Taiwan sometime in 2010.

Not wanting to be left out of in the emerging digital reader scene, both BenQ and Fujitsu will release e-book readers of their own and plan to showcase their devices at the IT Month 2009 consumer trade show in Taiwan, which runs from November 28 to January 1, 2010.

Laptop Stolen From the Ministry of Defense

2009-12-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

According to Intel stolen laptops cost companies almost $50,000 per year, per machine, so I don’t even want to speculate on what a laptop full of “top secret” government data would fetch. I suppose the only consolation is the fact that so many are stolen, I doubt anything contained on the laptop was still a secret anyway.

Losing a laptop full of travel photos and bookmarks hurts, but losing the laptop and USB decryption key for a high-ranking Royal Air Force officer stings just a tiny bit more. Great Britain authorities are on the hunt for suspects in a high profile laptop theft, but you might be surprised to learn that it is but one of 66 so far this year, bringing the grand total up to 658 machines in the past four years.

I’m not sure whats worse, the fact that top-secret information is contained on mobile computers at all, or that the thief managed to sneak it out of the Ministry of Defense, an ultra secure government facility without anybody noticing. “This has the potential to become one of the most serious security breaches at the Ministry for a very long time” said a spokesman for the MoD. “An investigation by the MoD police is ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further”.

Somewhat surprisingly, it's not the CEO's computer that holds the most value, but a director or manager, the study says. Analyzing 138 instances of lost and stolen notebooks, the study values the average senior executive's laptop to be $28,449, whereas a director or manager's laptop is worth twice as much at about $61,000 each.

The well-timed (or strategically-timed) study comes shortly after Intel's "Poison Pill" Anti-Theft PC Protection technology finds its way onto a pair of Asus notebooks.

OpenOfficeMouse WarMouse Meta, "18-button Freak" Gets Freakier

2009-12-14T18:57:00.000-08:00

What can we say about this peripheral that we didn't say when it was known as the OpenOfficeMouse? It still has more buttons than any mouse has a right to have, but now it's adopted an edgier, darker look, and its eschewed the optical sensor for a 5600 CPI laser. Oh yes, and it has a new name: The WarMouse Meta.
WarMouse today announced that its revolutionary 18-button joystick mouse, rechristened the Meta, will ship with a high-resolution laser sensor instead of an optical sensor. With a patented design featuring 18 buttons, an analog joystick, and a 5600-cpi laser sensor, the Meta provides a radically efficient user interface that has been shown to increase mouse input speeds by an average of 30 percent in comparison with conventional two-button mice utilizing toolbar icons and pull-down menus. Formerly known as the OpenOfficeMouse, the WarMouse Meta will be black with dark gray buttons.
The Meta is one of the first computer mice to incorporate an analog joystick and is the first mouse to permit the use of the joystick as a digital keyboard interface. In the three digital joystick modes, the user can assign up to sixteen different keys or macros to the joystick, which provides faster user input regardless of whether the user is flying through the cells of a large spreadsheet in Calc or on the back of an epic flying mount in World of Warcraft. In analog joystick mode, the player can select between having up to seven joystick buttons available or using all 18 buttons as keyboard and mouse commands instead.
The features of the WarMouse Meta include:
18 programmable mouse buttons with double-click functionality
High-resolution laser sensor with adjustable resolution from 100 to 5,600 DPI/CPI.
Five assignable button modes: Key, Keypress, Macro, Mouse, and Mouse-Key Combo
Analog Xbox 360-style joystick with five analog and digital modes
Clickable scroll wheel
512k of flash memory
63 on-mouse application modes with hardware, software, and autoswitching capability
1024-character macro support.
Meta Modeware for creating, managing, and customizing game and application modes
Import and export of custom modes in XML format
Taskbar notification of active application mode
Optional audio notification of mode switching with customizable wave files
PDF export of application mode button assignments
Graphical pop-up map of application mode button assignments
25 default modes for popular games and applications, including Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, OpenOffice.org Writer, Calc, and Impress, 3D Studio Max, Autodesk AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, the Gnu Image Manipulation Program, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator.

PC sales up on Black Friday

2009-12-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

Retailers will have to blame their discounting practices, since actual unit sales were way up in many categories: PC sales volume increased 63 percent, Blu-ray players were up 53 percent, and GPS units increased by 15 percent.

The battle over holiday pricing started even earlier than usual this year, with Amazon.com and Wal-Mart targeting the iPod, Nintendo Wii, HDTVs, and Netbooks with steep discounts, and in some cases, drastically lowered shipping charges.

But while retailers so far appear to be having a ho-hum season revenue-wise, there's still several weeks to go before the end of the quarter. And the biggest sellers, like Wal-Mart and Amazon, say that while Black Friday and Cyber Monday are important to their bottom line, their biggest sales days typically come mid-December.

Shoppers were out in force during the week of Black Friday, but price cuts brought in less revenue than last year's recession-mired sales, according to a new report.

Retail analyst firm the NPD Group on Wednesday released its yearly accounting of technology sales during the week of Black Friday. More than $2.7 billion was spent on TVs, PCs, video game consoles, cameras, and more in the first burst of holiday shopping, but it represented a 1.2 percent decline compared to the same period a year ago. Still, it's better than the previous year's 3.4 percent decline.

Intel focus on laptop graphics technology

2009-12-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

Later this month, Intel will unveil the first product, codenamed "Pine Trail", that puts the graphics function directly onto the same piece of silicon as the main "CPU" processor, a major departure from current technology which puts the graphics in a separate piece of ancillary silicon called the chipset.
This will be followed quickly by a CPU-graphics combination chip for laptops dubbed "Arrandale." Integrating the graphics function onto the CPU is a feat that AMD--despite its purchase of graphics chip giant ATI in 2006--has yet to achieve.
"This is the next logical step in further integration brought to us by Moore's Law," said Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, which tracks the graphics chip market.
Intel will focus on next-generation laptop technology that combines graphics functions with the main processor, in the wake of the cancellation of its initial "Larrabee" graphics processor.
Despite the market-rattling news from Intel late on Friday--which pushed rival Nvidia's stock shot up more than 12 percent on Monday--Intel still remains the leader in the high-volume "integrated" graphics market.
And the world's largest chipmaker is about to up the ante in this market for low-cost graphics technology, which many consumers opt for instead of high-performance chips from Nvidia or Advanced Micro Devices's ATI unit.
As a new feature, the chip will be able to accelerate so-called "drag-and-drop transcoding" in Windows 7. Transcoding converts, for instance, a movie on a PC to a format that makes it viewable on an iPhone or iPod. This won't be available immediately, however, Intel said Monday. It will come soon after the introduction of the processor as a "driver update."
The Arrandale chip will not support Microsoft's DirectX-11 mutlimedia acceleration technology for Windows 7. At least not right away. "It's on the roadmap," according to Intel. But this technology is not widely supported across product lines by any graphics chip supplier currently.

Apple wants technology from struggling Lala

2009-12-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

We saw Ruckus falter and close in January. We saw SpiralFrog flameout spectacularly in March. In August, MySpace picked up iLike, and sources said that MySpace acquired Imeem last month, but the news has not been announced.
What seemed to be different about Lala is that the company had received positive reviews from the music labels for a long time. Executives at some of the biggest recording companies have told me in the past that they respected Lala's management and its focus on the bottom line. This spring, label execs said they saw some encouraging signs after Lala had revamped the service for seemingly the umpteenth time. It initially made a name for itself by trying to enable users to swap CDs over the Internet. It never went anywhere.
Sources with knowledge of the discussion told me Apple is interested in bringing some of Lala's engineers onboard. According to the sources, Apple is impressed by Lala's technology. The 4-year-old Lala scans users' hard drives and creates a duplicate music library that they can access from Web-enabled devices. The company also sells songs for a dime each.
I posted a story on Friday about the acquisition talks. Apple declined to comment on "rumor and speculation" and a Lala spokesman did not respond to an interview request.
Over at The New York Times, Brad Stone posted a report citing sources who also said Apple had a special interest in obtaining Lala's engineering talent. But the Times also added this:
"The talks (between Apple and Lala) originated when Lala executives concluded their prospects for turning a profit in the short term were dim," Stone wrote. "(Lala) initiated discussions about a potential investment with Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president in charge of iTunes."
That Lala was struggling to turn a profit is consistent with the kind of bleak news that has come out of digital music the past year. Many of the newer and experimental business models, such as ad-supported music, have flopped. The only reasonable question now is how much longer will this shakeout continue?

Acer is planning to DirectX 11 Notebook

2009-12-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

"Monster" in this case can refer to the size. At 18.4 inches, Acer's upcoming laptop probably won't spend much time on your lap. It could also refer to the Core i7-720QM processor stuffed inside, which races along at 1.6GHz. There's hardly an area that isn't beastly, including the 8GB of DDR3 memory, not one but two 640GB hard drives, and even a Blu-ray drive. And of course AMD's Mobility Radeon HD 5850 will bring DriectX 11 graphics to the table, along with 1GB of GDDR5 memory.
Who would have thought Acer would emerge as a front runner to release the first desktop replacement built around AMD's Evergreen graphics? Whether or not Acer will beat Alienware, Asus, and everyone else to the punch remains to be seen, but according to Fudzilla, the company is readying a monster notebook.
Other features of the lamely named Aspire 8942G-728G1280TWN (seriously?) include four USB 2.0 slots, 801.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, a 5-in-1 card reader, 8-cell battery, and other odds and ends.
No word yet on price or availability, but if we were to guess, we'd say "soon" and "expensive."
Acer unveiled the 3D-capable laptop during a press conference on Tuesday. The lappy uses a combination of in-house software, a special screen coating, and polarized glasses to achieve the 3D effect.
"The display has been coated with a special 3D film that clings to the panel pixel by pixel, enabling the LCD technology to deliver a 3D visual feast," Acer stated. "Slip on the cool polarized eyeglasses that filter the images and you're ready to dive into an extraordinary 3D adventure."

Dell laptop face E6400 and E6500 overheating and underclocking problem

2009-12-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

Is it getting hot in here, or is it just your Dell laptop? Many are complaining it's the latter, with what looks to be hundreds of owners of E6400 and E6500 series Dell notebooks complaining of performance issues, including throttling down by as much as 95 percent under normal operating conditions, Engadget reports.
All is not well in the land of the E6400- and E6500-series lappytops. What looks to be hundreds of owners of these machines have been complaining of massive performance issues, throttling themselves down by as much as 95% under what would seem to be normal operating conditions. Whenever the devices get slightly warm the BIOS automatically starts dialing down the performance until they basically crawl to a halt, some indicating that even when cool they won't go over 50% of maximum clock. Users have been reporting this issue since early in the year and Dell has apparently started censoring some posts on its forums, including a link to a PDF created by (now-banned) user Tinkerdude describing the problem in detail.
It's entitled "Performance loss during normal operation in a Dell Latitude E6500 laptop due to processor and bus clock throttling", and if you think that's long wait until you see all 59 pages of analysis (at the read link). As of now there's no official fix provided by Dell, leaving many to call this Throttlegate, and we do love a good Stargate reference.
The problem appears to be due to an oversensitive BIOS prone to dialing down clockspeeds and bringing notebooks to a near screeching halt at the first sign of heat. It's something that's been brought to Dell's attention long ago, but according to Engadget, the OEM has been censoring some posts on its forums rather than fixing the issue.
Update: Ibrahim e-mailed to let us know that these two series aren't the only ones being gimped. The Studio XPS 1645 is said to be having similar (but somewhat less drastic) issues according to this thread, seemingly thanks to an inadequate AC adapter. In this case Dell seems to be shipping replacement adapters to those who call up and complain.
Update 2: Dell's Chief Blogger Lionel Menchaca dropped the following in comments, which is something of a positive step:
We're aware of concerns raised in this post and others like it. At this point, our teams are looking into the details. When we have more information to share, we'll update customers via a post on Dell's blog, Direct2Dell.

Dell Releases Mini 10v Netbook with Chrome OS Build

2009-11-30T19:20:00.000-08:00

The OS is based on the totally open source “Chromium” arm of the Chrome OS. The image can be loaded onto an 8GB USB drive and booted on the Mini 10v with no tweaking. Though, Anson did point out that the software was being offered with no support or guarantees of any kind.
Dell has said they will evaluate Chrome OS, but there are no firm plans to offer it as an option in the future. Since Google released the source code for Chrome OS earlier this month, various people around the world have had their way with it. The newest tinkerer is a technology strategist for Dell, Doug Anson.
Thanks to Doug, owners of the Dell Mini 10v can now download and use a version of Chrome OS. "I've been doing some tinkering over the last few days working to get our Dell Mini 10v up and running with ChromiumOS. As of late yesterday, I can report success," said Anson in a post to Dell’s community blog.
In the wake of Google’s Chrome OS announcement last week, some have questioned the search giant’s software vision. Cofounder Sergey Brin popped in for a brief appearance at the event and made some interesting statements about the future of Chrome OS and Android. Brin said that Android and Chrome "will likely converge over time," but gave no indication of the form that might take.
Indeed, the Chrome OS will reportedly have support for ARM based CPUs. Brin also talked up the similarity in the products’ code bases. Both are based on Linux and the Webkit browser rendering engine.
Cnet interviewer Molly Wood prodded Schmidt slightly about the possible overlap in the emerging Smartbook category. Schmidt was quick, yet broad in his dismissal saying, “let’s not prejudge what these things are best used for… our end users will ultimately judge.”

Dell is among the first to offer semi-informal Wi-Fi driver support on its Mini 10v line of netbooks

2009-11-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

Some users have reported early success getting wireless working with the newest line of Asus EEE PC’s, but Dell is among the first to offer semi-informal Wi-Fi driver support on its Mini 10v line of netbooks. To further sweeten the deal for Dell owners, you can pickup a preconfigured USB key image that is ready to rock and roll. The file contains the OS along with functioning support for the Broadcom Wi-Fi adapter.
The list of people who are jonesing to get their netbooks up and running with the alpha version of Google’s ChromiumOS is fairly short, especially given the relatively poor driver support for Wi-Fi. Its hard to hold a grudge against any piece of software with the “alpha” tag, but lets be honest, a netbook OS without Wi-Fi is sure to put a bit of a damper on our enthusiasm.
Before you get too excited however, you should know that Dell describes the image as “highly experimental, untested, and unstable”, so it would be best to keep your expectations in check. If you’re thinking of giving this a try, make sure you check out the Dell blog posting to see the complete list of caveats.
There is something to be said of locally stored files too...which chrome os doesn't really do. For a netbook, this may work for some people, for me, not really. I would be MUCH more interested in a google spin on the destop linux type distros...like a google ubuntu/debain clone, or suse, or fedora or something...
If there is any segment of linux's market that could use big finantial backing, it's the desktop segment... I believe ubuntu netbook remix, moblin, windows7, and probably even android work better for a netbook then does chromeos. Just my oppinion though.

Asus is Ready to Fully Embrace Ultra-Thin Notebooks

2009-11-26T19:16:00.000-08:00

As the netbook explosion has proven, consumers are willing to pay for portability, and while that also includes ultra-thins, Asus has been focusing most of its attention elsewhere. According to Tony Chen, Asus' VP, ultra-thins will only account for 10 percent of the company's total notebook sales by the end of 2009.
Chen was also quick to point out that Asus has adopted a handful of exclusive technologies in its UL series ultra-thin laptops, including its Turbo33 technology for improved stability and better performance.
Still, Asus, along with MSI, Acer, and Lenovo, all expected ultra-thins to account for around 20-30 percent of notebook shipments in 2009, and all have adjusted their outlook to around the 10 percent mark.
That doesn't mean Asus has no intention of embracing slim notebooks. As Intel tweaks its ultra-thin platform and consumers continue to warm to the market segment, Chen said he expects a much larger proportion in 2010.
As if Asus hadn’t been revealing enough in their notebook line lately, they’re adding one more to the pile with their fancy new U/UX series laptops.
The ultra-thin series of notebooks will feature light-up chicklet keys (with auto-adjusting backlights, a 15.6-inch glossy LCD and a touchpad that uses fading lights to follow the movement of your fingers. Powering it all will be a Core 2 Duo processor, Nvidia’s GeForce G105M GPU, up to 500GB of storage, and Altec Lansing speakers with SRS true surround sound.

The "smartbook" aspires to put the smartphone into the laptop

2009-11-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

Two companies are hoping that the smartbook will turn out to be more than just another quickly-forgotten device sales pitch. Qualcomm and Freescale, which are both supplying key silicon technology for the devices, are pushing to make smartbooks different enough from laptops--and Netbooks--that consumers will take notice.
So, will the smartphone DNA be enough to make consumers notice? There are skeptics. "You have to step back and say who cares?--asked Jeff Orr, senior analyst, mobile devices, at ABI Research. "Is it meeting different needs in the marketplace? Does it change the price in a way that an audience is going to latch onto?"
Or says that the smartbook, as proposed today, is challenged to really set itself apart, with the exception of battery life. "Devices with ARM processors tend to have better battery life," he said, referring to the basic chip design that Qualcomm and Freescale use, which compares favorably with Intel Atom processor used in Netbooks from companies like Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and Toshiba. But he sees little else that is head-turning enough for consumers to see a striking difference between the smartbook and the Netbook or smaller laptops.
The first tangible evidence of smartbooks to come will be seen at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, where Lenovo, among others, is expected to show, if not roll out, smartbook designs.
One pesky question won't go away, however. Why go out of the way to call it a smartbook? Doesn't Netbook suffice? (And it can potentially be very confusing for consumers since both terms have "book" in them.) On one level, the nomenclature choice is simply to counter the Microsoft-Intel Netbook juggernaut: Another Netbook among dozens already on the market won't draw much attention.
In Japan, Sharp is selling the NetWalker smartbook, which has a five-inch screen and uses a Freescale ARM processor. "When you see it, it looks like a gadget not like a PC, so you don't have that expectation that it's a Window device," Burchers said.
For the most part, however, the first generation of smartbooks, Burchers admits, will be Netbook-like in design. So, Freescale is looking to the second generation of smartbooks to break away from the traditional laptop.

Microsoft Downplays Windows XP as Netbook OS

2009-11-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

Moving on is something Microsoft probably would have liked to have done with Vista, but it just sucked up too many resources to be a viable alternative to XP. That changes with Windows 7, which looks to become the new standard.
Right from the very beginning, Windows XP has dominated the netbook scene. Vista is just too demanding for a low-power PC, and Linux hasn't been able to win over the mainstream. But even though Windows XP played an important role in the popularizing ultraportable netbooks, Microsoft appears ready to move on.
"We will continue to make Windows XP available for those devices [netbooks], but it doesn't make sense to put marketing effort behind those devices. As much as we make Windows XP available for a year, we won't see it last in the market that long. We will get through the holidays. My gut is we will walk away from the holidays and see that it's not worth keeping on the market," said Don Paterson, director of netbook PCs in Microsoft's Windows client group.
While one can understand Microsoft's wish to move on to its new OS, it does not serve them to completely distance themselves from XP on netbooks. Firstly, that OS on those devices has, over the past to years, kept Microsoft relevant as an OS provider and secondly, they have contrived to make the move from XP to Win7 about as expensive and complicated as they can, and those millions of netbooks already out there on XP will not all make the move to Win7.
Win7 seems to have the usual pro / cons for users and users will either take the chance on the OS or stick with something that may work (and is cheaper) for them. Microsoft shouldn't distance itself from its traditional base, entirely based on an OS that has only been in the retail loop for a month.
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Apple Flips the Finger Disables Atom Support

2009-11-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

In the meantime, a user on the MyDellMini forum claims to have found a workaround that entails running 10.6.2 with a 10.6.1 kernel. The process involved booting from a backup, mounting the 10.6.2 partition, and punching in a few commands.
"Well, looks like I was right, again," Hackintosh guru StellaRola wrote in a blog post. "The netbook forums are now blowing up with problems of [Snow Leopard] 10.6.2 instant rebooting their Atom-based netbooks. My sources tell me that every time a netbook users installs 10.6.2 an Apple employee gets their wings."
Rumors of an Atom ban turned out to be true, as the Hackintosh community found out with the latest update to Apple's Snow Leopard OS.
While the ban presents a temporary setback, StellaRola reiterated that "this is OSx86 after all," and predicted that a modded kernel is likely just around the kernel.
The video, which gave an exact step-by-step tutorial about how to put OS X onto a netbook, (with trips to The Pirate Bay included) has since been taken down off of Wired’s Tech Lab. However, you can still check it out over at Gizmodo, who’s sticking it to the man hasn’t run them into any evident danger as of yet.
Apple’s exact complaint about the video hasn’t been printed anywhere, so that is something that we might not ever get to find out, but what we do know is that the video is mighty thorough! And it only clocks in at about four minutes, so why not watch it?

Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard update

2009-11-09T19:10:00.001-08:00

In addition to fixing a number of security issues, Mac OS X 10.6.2 also addresses 14 problems found in the operating system, including an issue that caused some users to be logged out of their systems unexpectedly.
An important issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account has been fixed, according to Apple. While the bug didn't affect all users, it was widespread enough to cause concerns for users over the past couple of weeks.
If you use Exchange contacts, you'll be pleased to know that your Spotlight searches will now show those contacts in the results. Setting up an Exchange server shouldn't cause Apple's Mail app to crash with the new version.
The update also includes what Apple calls "general stability improvements" for iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe, and iDisk.
Apple also updated Mac OS X Leopard Server to version 10.6.2, addressing issues with the company's server product.
The server update fixed problems with adding and removing imported users in Server Preferences, syncing content using a Portable Home Directory, and filtering incoming mail messages.
Other issues fixed with the server version include creating images using Apple's System Image Utility and automating the installation of NetRestore images.
Try booting into your Mac with a Safe Boot, which includes a disk check/repair and directory repair - I haven't had one problem since I started using a Safe Boot once every two weeks. Couple of other standard Mac tips - Repair the Permissions with Disk Utility, and be sure to leave your Mac on over a few Sunday nights so the OS can run its daily/weekly/scripts (or use a utility like Onyx and have it run the scripts for you). My last kernel panic led me to learning a bit more about how to keep my Macs running perfectly - not one problem since.

Lenovo IdeaPad U150 gets critiqued

2009-11-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

We spotted the IdeaPad U150 sitting pretty as far back as CEATEC, but now it seems the 11.6-inch beaut is finally finding its way out into the wild, wild... wilds. The suave folks over at Netbooked were able to wrap their paws around a retail unit, and aside from just unboxing it on video (which was a nice gesture in its own right), they also ran it through some basic tasks and spit out a few general opinions. Hit the links below if you'd like to follow the journey from undressing to battery life testing, and hop on past the breaks if you're into this hot new thing called "video."
Here are my thoughts for the first couple of days with the 11.6” Lenovo IdeaPad U150 notebook. I talk about size and weight (compared to the Acer Aspire 1410), battery life, noise (maybe), keyboard and touchpad and sound quality).
I’m using the IdeaPad U150 today as a replacement for my desktop and I haven’t experienced any noticeable slowness compared to my desktop for mundane tasks. (web browsing, YouTube, videos and music)
And if you have been following on my Twitter account, I mentioned I was experiencing poor Wi-Fi with both the Acer Aspire 1410 and Lenovo IdeaPad U150. Turns out that a reboot of my router appears to have fixed things.
Here are some battery life scores. All done at 50% brightness (closest to 90cd/m2 brightness). Windows 7 shuts down standard at 5% remaining battery power.
4 hours, 44 mins - Blogging and Web-browsing, Wi-Fi ON, Bluetooth ON. Power Saving mode. dual-monitor setup using HDMI out. (included about 25 mins of HD YouTube and playing MP3s)
4 hours, 30 mins - Looped full-screen 480P video, Wi-Fi OFF, Bluetooth OFF, Sound ON. Super Power Saving mode.
4 hours, 23 mins - Looped full-screen 720P video, Wi-Fi OFF, Bluetooth OFF, Sound ON. Super Power Saving mode.

Acer Aspire One AOD250 impressions

2009-11-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

We admit, we were pretty stoked when we first saw the Acer Aspire One AOD250 running Android in dual-boot mode. What could possibly be bad about it? Fast start-up, Google apps... other good things that aren't coming to mind at the moment... what could go wrong? Turns out, just about everything. See, the Aspire One AOD250 has an unfortunate lack of Google blessing, so that means no Gmail, which is really Android's killer app, and no Marketplace either -- so no opportunity to track down a different killer app.
You can use your Google account for hooking up with Gcal, Gtalk and Google Contacts, but your Gmail account gets set up as a webmail shortcut to the included Firefox app -- which does an alright, slightly hacked-on job of augmenting the standard Android browser, including support for Flash. Unfortunately, with connection woes over WiFi and Ethernet (as seen on the video), there wasn't much redeemable even there, and perhaps the best news about the device is that it can be fully booted to XP at any time by clicking on the corner of Android's home screen. We still think there's promise for Android on a netbook, but it's going to need some serious TLC (also, Gmail) before it's ready for prime time. Check out our video impressions after the break.
Acer probably had the same issue as Archos in handling high screen resolutions, with early Android releases, and had to customize it, to make it work. This customization likely limited the apps that would run on it.
With Android 2.0, this issue should be resolved, so Acer probably just needs to do an update, to get back into the Android mainstream. Ideally, the update would enable support for the Android Market.

Dell Mini 10 comes with Sprint's Now Network

2009-11-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

The 10.1-inch Dell weighs 2.6 pounds and sports an Intel Atom Z520 processor. Other specs include a 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 1.3MP webcam, integrated Intel 500 graphics, a 5-in-1 media card reader, Bluetooh, WiFi, and Windows XP Home. In other words, nothing sexy like a dual-booting Android platform or anything else to separate the Mini 10 from the standard netbook fare.
The rumors missed the mark by a day, but still turned out to be true in that Sprint has teamed with Dell to offer a subsidized netbook with a data plan subscription. That netbook is the Dell Mini 10 and is available at select Sprint stores throughout the Bay Area for $200 (after mail-in-rebate) with a two-year Sprint Mobile Broadband agreement.
While not particularly exciting, it's hard to argue with the price. Just be sure to factor in the cost of the service agreement, which includes 5GB of data for $60 per month. That comes out to an extra $1,440 over the next two years.
The netbook has plenty to offer, packing a 1.33GHz Intel Atom processor, Windows XP Home SP3, a 10.1 inch anti-glare display with a native resolution of 1024x576, 160GB HDD, 1GB DDR2 RAM, a wireless 802.11g card, and an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500 video card.
Unfortunately, the customization options for the Mini 10 are limited. Aside from getting a whole host of colors to choose from, you can only bump up the processor from 1.33GHz to 1.6GHz. But, if you’re looking for a cheap netbook that will provide plenty of horsepower for your work-related needs, the Mini 10 doesn’t seem like such a bad choice.
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Apple 27-inch iMacs having performance issues

2009-10-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's not at all clear what the root cause of the problem is, but we've noticed a big uptick in people complaining about performance issues on new 27-inch iMacs on Apple's support boards. The most common symptom seems to be incredibly slow Flash video playback, but people are also claiming that there's a bug forcing the hard drive to spin down, that there's a corrupted Snow Leopard build preinstalled, and even that the problem is bad permissions, which is basically how an OS X user gives up trying to figure things out.
Apple hasn't said anything yet, but neither of the 27-inchers we have here are having problems, so we're keeping our fingers crossed while we wait for an official resolution. Video of the issue after the break.
It seems like every time Apple releases a "new" product, there's always something wrong. Graphics issues. Hard drive issues, all your Information deleted issues, etc - and now this. It seems they are rushing out products and skimping on quality control - which is driving away customers and damaging the reputation of a company which charges a significant premium for "quality".
the past when you had very little software available for the Mac, but now that they are growing there are more and more problems like this popping up.
If you have an isolated situation where this happens, then you can notch it up to a defective unit, a user who did something to cause it to happen, etc. But when you have this type of thing happening over and over, Apple is not doing their job in testing this stuff. People like to critize MS for rushing the 360 to market before doing the work to make sure it does not overheat, but this here, is the same, it seems as if Apple is worried too much about rusing their products to market to appear like they are innovative, ahead of the curve, but they are only going to harm themselves and the customers.
If you are having problems like this, there can be multiple causes - a driver that does not function as well at the higher resolution, a bit of OSX that has a bottle neck with special hardware built in. Luckily, those types of problems can be fixed with software. But they need to make sure it works first. We have heard of MS' compatibility testing labs where they test various software combinations for perf and compatibility. I, personally, have been to a MS developer lab where they bring in customers to test their applications before Windows shipps. Windows is available to developers and general users months before. But except for a few betas put out and accessible by a select few, Apple does not do any real compatibility. And in the end, it is going to bite them.
If you have any idea, you can leave your comment here.

Sony's optical disk drive operations

2009-10-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

Blu-ray’s prices have yet to see the traditional price declination expected from a hot technology that has been released over three years ago. In fact, prices have remained steady over that time despite HD-DVD disappearing from the picture.
There aren’t tons of details about what Sony is alluding too, but they have outwardly admitted to U.S. antitrust investigations. Antitrust regulators are taking a closer look at Sony's optical disk drive operations.
Sony Optiarc America, in particular, produces the Sony line of optical disk drives for DVD, CD, and Blu-ray media formats and is the focus of the investigation. Sony didn’t hint to which products are of interest, but if you like to follow the gossip circles (or have a bit of common-sense) it is likely something to do with Blu-ray.
Further, the technology hasn’t skyrocketed in popularity the way Sony expected and antitrust investigations are not likely to help that process along.
"The simple and plain fact is, Blu-Ray and
DVD region restrictions exist for the simple reason of keeping
competition from certain regions (like the USA) from keeping prices low
in others"
After an 8-year investigation, the European Union nailed Intel with a record-setting $1.45 billion fine this past May, finding the chip maker guilty of anticompetitive practices. As was expected, Intel has filed an appeal with Europe's second highest court, the Luxembourg-based Court of First Instance.

Intel's SSD firmware update promise boost

2009-10-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

We won't say that we love products leaving the oven before they're completely done, but we do adore gratis firmware updates that better a product even after you've purchased it. That being said, we're actually stoked that Intel has decided to out its second major firmware update for the second-gen 34nm X25-M SSD, and unlike the first, this one has the potential to put smiles on lots and lots (as opposed to a few) faces.
The newfangled SSD Toolbox includes an SSD Optimizer for the aforementioned device, which promises to help users "more effectively monitor and manage the SSD's health." It also offers a performance boost to sequential write speeds by delivering up to 100MB/sec on the 160GB model, which represents a rather substantial 40 percent uptick over the existing firmware. The best news of all? Intel's doing more than just blowing hot air, as the benchmarking gurus over at Hot Hardware found out. Hit the read link for their eye-opening analysis.
In all of our recent solid state disk (SSD) coverage that featured one of Intel's X25-M drives, a common, underlying performance trend consistently emerged. The Intel drives were always amongst the top performers in read performance, and were unquestionably the best with regard to random writes. However, in sequential write performance Intel X25-M SSDs always seemed to trail competing offerings.
While trying to gain some additional insight into the situation, we had a couple of off the record conversations with some folks at Intel , and asked if the company had any plans to optimize sequential writes on their SSDs, but we didn't get a specific answer other than the standard company line about possible optimization coming with future firmware updates. Based on some rumors we had heard, we also asked if Intel had been deliberately holding back the sequential write performance of their drives for one reason or another, to which we weren't dignified with a response. But today, we can't help but think there was something to those rumors.

Apple plan to Patent for OS Embedded Advertising

2009-10-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

Not only are they going to put ads in front of your face, they are going to do everything in their power to make you pay attention to them. This basically says they would go as far as crippling the device while the ad is displaying. Further, in the application they talk about measures to verify user presence, such as user confirmations throughout the ad.
Steve Jobs has submitted one of the most devious patents of all time: operating system advertising. That’s right, according to the patent, Jobs wants you looking at ads embedded right into your operating system.
To take it one-step further, the patent attorneys who filed the application did their due diligence making sure every aspect and use of the "innovation" was outlined in detail. This passage sheds a little light on just how invasive and annoying this could be:
“The operating system is configured to present one or more of the advertisements to users of the computer device. In some implementations, the operating system can disable one or more functions during the presentation of the advertisements and then enable the function(s) in response to the advertisements ending. That is, the operating system can disable some aspect of its operation to prompt the operator to pay attention to the advertisement.”
The application makes careful notation not to distinguish its platform so that this technology could be used on any device, i.e. “portable and desktop computers, servers, electronics, media players, game devices, mobile phones, wireless devices, email devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), embedded devices, televisions, set top boxes, etc” per the filing.

Toshiba's Market Share Increases

2009-10-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

The result: Toshiba saw it’s global hard drive market share jump to 13.2%. Toshiba’s share of the 2.5-inch drive market rose 6.5 points, from 16.1% to 24.6%, while it’s share in the sub-2.5-inch market grew even more, 8.3 points, from 18.3% to 26.5%.
Toshiba’s $328 million acquisition of hard drive maker Fujitsu is bearing some early fruit. The deal, made earlier this year, was an effort by Toshiba to increase it’s presence in the enterprise storage market. Toshiba acquired all of Fujitsu’s hard drive related business including design, development, manufacturing, and sales.
Toshiba’s future plans involve the development of solid-state drives that combine Toshiba’s NAND flash memory technology with Fujitsu’s enterprise hard drive technology.
Toshiba is estimated to have grabbed a 13.2% share of the global hard disk drive (HDD) market following its takeover of Fujitsu's hard drive operations, according to industry sources.
The 30-billion-yen (US$328 million) deal expanded Toshiba's share in the 2.5-inch HDD market to 24.6%, compared to 16.1% without Fujitsu's contribution, the sources said. In the sub-2.5 inch market, Toshiba's share is estimated to have grown from 18.3% to 26.5% after the purchase, the sources indicated. A recent Reuters report cited research firms as saying that Toshiba and Fujitsu had a combined 13% market share in the April-June period.
Toshiba announced it had finished transferring control of Fujitsu's HDD business in early October. The process had been postponed three times due to reviews by anti-monopoly commissions overseas. Toshiba said it aims to build on the consolidation to raise its share in the overall HDD market to over 20% by 2015.
Toshiba also said it plans to develop solid-state drive (SSD) products by integrating its NAND flash memory technology with Fujitsu's enterprise HDD technology.

Dell Wasn not Impressed by Vista

2009-10-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

And Schuckenbrock’s comment seems faint praise for Windows 7. Windows 7: it looks great when you compare it to Vista--which sucked! On that basis so to does XP, or Linux, or OS 9. Interesting comment from a company that sees Microsoft’s new operating system as a pick-me up for their stagnant computer sales.
With friends like Dell: “When you consider that Vista was a bust,” said Dell's president for large enterprise Stephen Schuckenbrock, “Windows 7 is a capability upgrade on a scale that has really never been seen before."
Vista a bust? Yeah, well, I suppose so. But why wait until the day before it’s upgrade appears to say so? Some of those very Vista users are where they are because of a recommendation they received from Dell. Besides a knife in the back of its customers, it sort of undermines Dell’s future sales pitches, doesn’t it
Look whose calling the kettle black. Dell complaining about a substandard product? Methinks he doth complain to much and is trying to take the spotlight of of Dell's still continuing slide due to still increasing quality issues with every new hardware release. Dell needs to worry about fixing their own issues before they start pointing fingers at someone else. At least Microsoft recognized the problem and fixed it. Now if Dell could only learn from this.
And let's hope that 7 would be better. I honestly didn't see much of a difference in things I did on Vista -> XP due to my computers usually being bad all around and the fact that I was still very ignorant about technology when the Vista came out, compared to me being mildly ignorant now. Hope to have 7 make me open my eyes.

Dell Adamo Gets Much-Needed Hardware Boost

2009-10-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Just a few months ago, the Adamo Desire came configured with a 1.4GHz processor and 128GB SSD, a combo that would set you back $2,300. Now three months later, Dell has replaced the Desire's guts with Intel Core 2 Duo SL9600 processor clocked at 2.1GHz, a 256GB SSD, and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. Rounding out the package is Windows Home Premium in 64-bit form.
Pretty soon, all the attention will be focused on Dell's upcoming Adamo XPS, the super-slim laptop whose specs have yet to be revealed. But in the meantime, Dell's Adamo Desire deserves a bit of attention too, thanks to an internal overhaul.
Already a pricey notebook, you would think the hardware upgrades would put the Desire out of reach. But if it is, that's only because it was out of reach to begin with. Despite the beefier hardware, the MSRP hasn't budged an inch! Well played, Dell. Now how about sharing a bit more about the Adamo XPS?
Adamo Desire is redundant since Adamo means "I desire" or "I fall in love with" in Latin. (And really, Dell should have used Adamare instead of Adamo since they probably intended to use the infinitive form of that verb).
Dell launched a teaser site for the newest revision of the Adamo series of laptops, Adamo XPS. The site features little more than a picture of the ultra-thin device and the tag line reading “Crafted to fall in love with at 9.99MM.”
Let’s take a second to do the math: at 9.99MM the Adamo XPS aims to slice the Macbook Air (19.3mm) in half at their respective thinnest points. A remarkable feet no doubt, but Apple took heavy criticism for the features it removed to make Air the thinnest laptop available at the time. One must be wondering, what could possibly fit into the Adamo?

Dell Confirms First U.S. Smartphone Coming in 2010

2009-10-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

As for carriers of the new Dell phone, he wouldn’t comment specifically on the AT&T rumor, but he did confirm that China Mobile will carry the launch device and would be the starting point for their entry into the market. As for their long term plans, Dell claims they have left the door open to pursue other platforms, and that future devices may not be Android based depending on how the mobile space plays out.
Apparently you just aren’t a real computer company these days unless you have your own smartphone, and Dell is finally ready to take the plunge. Details on the new Dell phone for the U.S. market are pretty scarce at the moment, but apparently it may, or many not be based on the Android operating system, and it will be released sometime in 2010. During an appearance at FiReGlobal today, CEO Michael Dell confirmed not just the existence of the device, but its importance to the company’s future.
“Mobility is absolutely the theme” Dell claims, and this will have a big impact on their PC business as well. “The only reason people buy desktops today is if you are concerned about price or power, otherwise, laptops dominate”. He also heavily downplayed the significance of the netbook market, predicting that the market share would level off at around 12 to 15 percent. “I think there is some disenchantment and user dissatisfaction…. After 36 hours, you say the screen is too small”.
Perhaps they are waiting to see if Windows Mobile 7 actually catches up to the pack, as Dell traditionally enjoys a pretty cozy relationship with Microsoft.

Motorola's USBw 200 WiMAX adapter takes less power

2009-10-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

If you're inhabiting one of the few but increasingly common localities with WiMAX internets beaming through the airwaves, you're probably looking for the least bulky and most efficient way to get connected. Motorola's latest doesn't look particularly more svelte than its previous USBw 100, but the USBw 200 is more efficient, requiring less than 1.5 watts of power despite the new "power boost" mode to connect more quickly to networks.
Like its predecessor, it supports 2.3, 2.5, and 3.5GHz bands, and now includes Windows XP and Vista drivers on the device itself, so no pesky installation CD is required. No word on pricing or availability, but those figures will be largely be left to the discretion of wireless providers anyhow.
With this capability the WiMAX CPEi 725 and USBw 200 WiMAX devices will automatically transmit on the antenna that is receiving the stronger signal, providing subscribers with a better connection to the network while allowing operators to reduce base station infrastructure requirements. The CPEi 725, available in the 2.5GHz band, and the USBw 200, available for the 2.3, 2.5 and 3.5GHz bands, can be updated over-the-air. Both products initially will be available in Q4 of 2009.
Motorola’s CPEi 725 features a balanced blend of integrated design, data and voice access ports, high gain antennas to offer the best possible signal strength and a highly sensitive receiver that exceeds the WiMAX Forum®’s specified receiver sensitivity requirements across all modulation schemes. In addition, the CPEi 725 features a single Analog Terminal Adaptor voice port to streamline the subscriber experience when connecting voice equipment.
The CPEi 725 has unique design advantages which improve network performance and end-user experience while reducing the total cost of operations. Leveraging Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), diversity techniques, and excellent receiver sensitivity, these devices provide increased throughput, optimize utilization of system resources, and reduce the number of access points required to provide service.
A unique power boost during network entry feature will make it even easier to connect to operator networks and expand footprints to a wider area. Finally, the USBw 200 delivers this improved experience while using less power – drawing less than 1.5 watts at peak power.

Dell will Android Release Phone in Early 2010

2009-10-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the Mini 3i would be modified to run on AT&T in the US. With Dell’s admission that the phone is indeed headed stateside, it seems likely that AT&T will get their first Android set in Q1 2010.
Dell’s first Android phone, the Mini 3i, was originally a China only release. Of course there were rumors that it might find its way to American shores, but they are rumors no more. Michael Dell has come out and said the Mini 3i will be available in the US early in 2010.
Dell mused on the smartphone market in a speech, saying, “The internet in your pocket ... and new platforms that are coming out are pretty interesting. Some of them resemble things that we're pretty familiar with, in terms of open systems and the ability to compete in an open ecosystem. I think you'll begin to see us show up there, gradually.”
The Dell Mini 3i was originally created for the Chinese market. It lacks both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. The version of Android it runs is also more heavily modified than would be acceptable for the US market. The camera on the Chinese version is also fairly lackluster.
This is an exciting time for Google’s Android OS. A recent report indicates that this open-source OS will command more of the market than the iPhone, Blackberry, or WinMo by 2012. AT&T can’t afford to hedge its bets on the iPhone.
There are still unanswered questions as to the features Dell might bring to the Mini 3i in the US. In the end, AT&T might only need a mid-range feature set. If they can maintain their iPhone exclusivity, they might not care if they have a high-end Android handset. Still, if the projections are accurate, AT&T will want experience with Android, no matter the handset quality.

Nokia gamble Netbook

2009-10-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

At a press event here Tuesday, Nokia took the wraps off the anticipated Booklet 3G, a Windows 7 Netbook that will run exclusively on AT&T's 3G wireless network. At a subsidized price tag of $299, Nokia has managed to hit the sweet spot in the Netbook market with a high-end device at a bargain price point.
Not only will the new Netbook come with Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7, but it also has a battery that lasts up to 12 hours.
First impressions of the new Booklet 3G have been positive. The extended battery life, sharp screen resolution, and slick, lightweight design are all impressive, according to many reviewers. But the PC market has notoriously seen tight profit margins. And the new Netbook category is already flooded with competition.
So what is Nokia, a company that sells more than 400 million mobile phones a year doing, in the PC business? Nokia executives say that the Netbook device category is perfectly suited for Nokia. The company says that it fits solidly in line with the Nokia's overall strategy.
"Our company is about connecting people," John Hwang, general manager of connected computers at Nokia, said in an interview at the press event. "We connected the world's first billion people through the cell phone. And the next billion will be connected via computing devices like a PC."
Meanwhile, laptop PCs have shrunk in size. Cloud computing has reduced the need for huge amounts of data storage. As a result, the new Netbook or mini-PC category has emerged to provide corporate road warriors and other people wishing to access the Net on the go a lightweight alternative to lugging around heftier laptops. Service providers are further driving the trend by making these new laptops more affordable and usable by bundling 3G wireless service with them.
Glenn Lurie, president of emerging devices for AT&T, who was also at the Nokia press event, said that the Netbook market is hot. He referenced reports that indicate that more than 20 million Netbooks could be sold worldwide in 2009. While this pales in comparison to the overall mobile phone market, it's significant enough to become a decent business for Nokia, and it's the beginning of a much broader business for carriers, such as AT&T.