Gadget Frenzy

Adidas to take on Nike+ with branded handset

2008-03-06T20:01:00.001-08:00

LONDON - Samsung is launching an integrated promotional drive to back the UK launch of its F110 Adidas phone, which is being positioned as a rival to the Nike+ training system.

The F110 handset, which is designed for fitness fanatics, features a heartbeat monitor and a step counter, as well as an MP3 player. It is understood that Samsung will market...

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New Sierra Wireless USB modem fits more style, features into less space

2008-03-06T19:59:00.001-08:00

Sierra Wireless Compass(TM) 597 USB modem for EV-DO Revision A networks packs connectivity and storage into a device small enough to fit under a business card

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Angela who? Vodafone search fails to identify Merkel

2008-03-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

HANOVER, Germany (Reuters) - She may be Germany's most prominent woman, but Chancellor Angela Merkel found Vodafone's new image search software could not identify her.

"I am not in the database," Merkel said when testing Vodafone's Otello, a search engine that uses images instead of words, at the CeBIT technology trade fair in Hanover on Tuesday.

"That's a major gap -- please update," Merkel quipped.

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Tata Communications Rolls Out World's Largest Commercial WiMAX Network with Telsima

2008-03-06T19:57:00.000-08:00

SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 4 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Tata
Communications, a leading global provider of a new world
of communications, has selected Telsima Corporation, a
global player in WiMAX systems to provide WiMAX solutions
for Tata Communications broadband wireless network in
India. Tata Communications is the first to launch broadband
services on the WiMAX platform on a large scale for retail
consumers in India.

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Vodafone Shows Image Search for Mobile Phones

2008-03-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

Instead of entering a word or phrase users send pictures via MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) from their mobile phones.

The picture can be anything from a historical building to a CD cover, according to Vodafone. Otello then returns information relevant to the picture to the mobile phone, just like a normal search engine.

Vodafone's reasoning behind image search is that it's more convenient to take a picture than to enter search terms with a phone that lacks a normal keyboard.

Starting Monday Vodafone is conducting a trial with German paper Bild. Readers can find out more about specially-marked articles by photographing them with their mobile phone camera and sending the image to Bild.

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Exclusive: N-Gage camera games and GPS action

2008-03-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

Sure, N-Gage is forging a fresh path on the portable gaming landscape, but we’ve just discovered that Nokia’s new gaming platform promises some seriously exciting twists on the journey ahead. Games that use your camera phone’s talents, location-based action, plus adventures that could tap into your contacts book contextually. Fact is, here’s a gaming service uniquely built on top-end convergence Nseries devices, all exploding with serious tech talents, and Nokia is dead set on exploiting these hi-tech features for the good of thumbkind.

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Microsoft Wants Sync to Control Much More than Gadgets

2008-03-06T13:45:00.001-08:00

You might think Ford's Sync is just a great hands-free voice-activated cellphone and iPod controller, but Microsoft has big plans for the software it wrote to make Sync work.

It wants to bring voice-activated network connectivity to your car. And use in-car advertising to pay for it. Microsoft is betting we'll have networked integrated entertainment and information systems within five years, and it wants Microsoft Auto to be the operating system they run on.

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10-K Watch: Helio Racks Up Major Losses in 2007, EarthLink Reports; Lower Helio Subscriber Numbers

2008-03-06T13:44:00.001-08:00

EarthLink on Thursday shed some light on how well Helio—one of the last remaining MVNOs in the U.S.—is doing, and it doesn’t look too bright. EarthLink reported that in 2007 Helio’s revenues were up significantly, but losses were also widening as the amount of cash it has on hand is dwindling.

Some results taken from EarthLink’s annual report filed with the SEC (the full Helio annual report is embedded below, and can be downloaded as PDF here

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iPhone SDK: Apple to approve, distribute apps, limit access

2008-03-06T13:43:00.002-08:00

According to several sources familiar with Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch software development kit (SDK) plans, the company will use a March 6 event in Cupertino, California to formally announce a number of potentially controversial limitations on application development and publishing. Our sources spoke on the condition that their comments were not for attribution, independently confirming the following details, and offering differing opinions of their importance.

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Mac to the Future - OC's Mobile Learning goes Apple

2008-03-06T13:43:00.001-08:00

In 2001, Oklahoma Christian launched a mobile computing initiative. This campus-wide 1-to-1 mobile computing program was the first in the state of Oklahoma and one of very few throughout the nation. Over the last six years, this program has helped to ensure that students have the technology necessary to combine digital fluency with the strengths of a liberal arts education.

Today, Oklahoma Christian University continues to look toward the future and the role of technology in teaching and learning. Understanding the technology needs and expectations of students and faculty continues to be the key to the success of this mobile learning initiative.

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AT&T stores to offer refurbished iPhones with new activations, $199 and $249

2008-03-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

Don’t want to pony up $399 for an iPhone? We just got word that AT&T is offering refurbished iPhones (with new activations only) for awesome prices! It’s $199 for the 4GB, (wait, 4GB?) and $249 for the 8GB. Let’s call that a steal, alright?

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Acer Ferrari 1100

2008-03-05T15:23:00.001-08:00

The Ferrari series is the only one of Acer's laptop lines that favors design over price and performance. The use of carbon fiber on the lid, the sporty red colors, and the signature Ferrari logo are the details that drew fans to the Ferrari 5000 when Acer launched it. Then came the Ferrari 1000 series, a miniature version of the 5000, which had one serious feature flaw: Despite its 4.4-pound weight, it lacked a built-in optical drive. The Acer Ferrari 1100 ($1,860 street), though far from being the lightest ultraportable on the market, improves upon the 1000 by integrating a slot-loading DVD burner.

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Mac to the Future - OC's Mobile Learning goes Apple

2008-03-05T15:22:00.001-08:00

n 2001, Oklahoma Christian launched a mobile computing initiative. This campus-wide 1-to-1 mobile computing program was the first in the state of Oklahoma and one of very few throughout the nation. Over the last six years, this program has helped to ensure that students have the technology necessary to combine digital fluency with the strengths of a liberal arts education.

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Intel Announces Intel® Atom™ Brand for New Family of Low-Power Processors

2008-03-05T15:20:00.003-08:00

Intel Announces Intel® Atom™ Brand for New Family of Low-Power Processors

Intel's Smallest Processor Built Using World's Smallest Transistors Designed for New Internet Devices, Low-Cost PCs

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 2, 2008 – The Intel® Atom™ processor will be the name for a new family of low-power processors designed specifically for mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and a new class of simple and affordable Internet-centric computers arriving later this year. Together, these new market segments represent a significant new opportunity to grow the overall market for Intel silicon, using the Intel Atom processor as the foundation. The company also announced the Intel® Centrino® Atom™ processor technology brand for MID platforms, consisting of multiple chips that enable the best Internet experience in a pocketable device.

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Steve Wozniak's frustrations with iPhone, Apple TV and MacBook Air

2008-03-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says he wishes Apple hadn't released a 2G version of the iPhone; that the Apple TV is frustrating to use, and that the MacBook Air won't be a hit.

Wozniak was in Sydney this morning to deliver the keynote speech at a conference focused on Australian broadband. But his commentary during a press Q&A session ranged far beyond the topics of broadband and telecommunications, with Woz lobbing numerous constructive critiques about Apple's latest products back over the pond to Cupertino.

Note -- many of these questions were asked by other journalists in the room, as it was a group interview opportunity.

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Cloudbook mods bluetooth, gps, etc

2008-03-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

Before I post all my pictures and show all my work I have a problem....The hub is installed along with everything else and I can get everything to turn on when I plug the usb hub into another computer. All device show LED lights including my 4GB flash drive.

Yet, when I hook everything up I still can't get the Hub to turn on. I put the everything back to "stock" but the internal USB port won't even turn a flash drive on. The most interesting part is the WIFI button no long lights up anymore. I did remove the webcam which might have something to do with it. I have not touched my internal port. I designed my mod so I can leave it in.....

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Dell Goes Extreme With IT-Friendly Rugged Laptop

2008-03-05T15:14:00.001-08:00

Dell^TM today unveiled its first fully ruggedized laptop, the Latitude^TM XFR D630. The system is one of the only in its class to simplify IT with seamless integration into existing infrastructure and deliver extreme durability without compromising performance. The rugged laptop, intended for government and commercial customers, is available today in the U.S. and starts at $3,899. Visit www.dell.com/xfr for more details.

The Latitude XFR D630 meets MIL-STD 810F standards from the Department of Defense for products that operate in extreme temperatures, moisture and altitude, to name a few. The system shares common images and components with Dell’s current line of Latitude laptops to greatly simplify deployment and maintenance. Also, a patent-pending thermal management system allows the rugged laptop to use latest generation technology and deliver up to four times better graphics performance than the Panasonic CF-30.²

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Hack into a Windows PC - no password needed

2008-03-05T15:13:00.001-08:00

A security consultant based in New Zealand has released a tool that can unlock Windows computers in seconds without the need for a password.

Adam Boileau first demonstrated the hack, which affects Windows XP computers but has not yet been tested with Windows Vista, at a security conference in Sydney in 2006, but Microsoft has yet to develop a fix.

Interviewed in ITRadio's Risky Business podcast, Boileau said the tool, released to the public today, could "unlock locked Windows machines or login without a password ... merely by plugging in your Firewire cable and running a command".

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AMD goes after Centrino with its "Puma" platform

2008-03-05T15:11:00.001-08:00

AMD today paper launched its Puma platform in a press event streamed live over the web. Puma is AMD’s third-generation mobile platform based on AMD’s Griffin processor and RS780M chipset.

AMD first broke news of its Puma platform in April of last year. Information at that time was mainly about the platform’s CPU, Griffin, and the only details revealed about the CPU were rather conceptual in nature.

Puma is AMD’s first attempt at a “complete” mobile platform. Whereas AMD’s previous mobile platforms had a diluted set of requirements, Puma’s specifications are stronger than previous mobile AMD platforms.

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ASUS U2E 11" Ultra-mobile Notebook Review

2008-03-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

The Hype - it's been building

Introduction

The ASUS U2E was first spotted back in June of last year during Computex in Taiwan but was largely overshadowed by the Eee PC that was also on display for the first time. But where the Eee PC lacks the performance and features that seasoned road-warriors require, the ASUS U2E promises all of them and more.

A fervor has been gathering about the ASUS U2E on sites like engadget, Gizmodo and others that take in every breath of the tech world. Stories of laptops that are both powerful and practical usually do get a lot of attention but this particular ASUS model was competing with the rumors of the Apple MacBook Air and the Lenovo X300; can it stand up to such strong competitors though?

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It's official: Pirates crack Vista at last

2008-03-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

A genuine crack for Windows Vista has just been released by pirate group Pantheon, which allows a pirated, non-activated installation of Vista (Home Basic/Premium and Ultimate) to be properly activated and made fully-operational.

Unlike cracks which have been floating around since Vista RTM was released in late November, this crack doesn’t simply get around product activation with beta activation files or timestop cracks - it actually makes use of the activation process. It seems that Microsoft has allowed large OEMs like ASUS to ship their products with a pre-installed version of Vista that doesn’t require product activation – apparently because end users would find it too inconvenient.

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Macbook air available at local apple store

2008-03-05T15:02:00.001-08:00

The Apple Retail Store very likely has your MacBook Air in stock. You can check the most up-to-date availability right here.

MacBook Air is sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Dreamcom 10 Series notebook

2008-03-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

Designed for evolution

Swiss based Dreamcom Corporations elegantly designed modular ergonomic notebooks provide new dimensions of effective, healthy mobile computing for business professionals and home users.

Aside from integrating the most advanced technical features, they include a vertically adjustable screen for greater working comfort, more convenience and less tension, as well as a mobile docking station adaptable to all kinds of business situations and fully loaded with additional functionalities.

More informations about Dreamcom 10 Series notebook

Fujitsu LifeBook P8010

2008-03-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

Packing an optical drive and terrific battery life into a 2.8-pound frame isn't easy, but this formula has been the cornerstone of the Fujitsu LifeBook P Series for several years. The LifeBook P8010 ($2,000 direct), which replaces the P7230, continues this tradition. The new model has the same dual-layer DVD burner, plus a bigger (12-inch) LED screen and over 5 hours of battery life. It's one of the few ultraportables that can last that long on a charge, though its low-voltage processor and cramped keyboard may hamper productivity down the line.

More information about Fujitsu LifeBook P8010

msramdmp: McGrew Security RAM Dumper

2008-03-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

Creating bootable USB drives for capturing the contents of memory

Overview

A short while back, a paper was published by researchers at Princeton University, in which they talk about the process of recovering encryption keys out of memory after a cold boot. This was surprising to many people, as most just assume that, since RAM is volatile storage, it is erased when power is removed. This is an incorrect assumption.

When the idea of memory retaining state for a short time was first brought to my attention a little over a year ago, I ran a few experiments similar to this one, just to prove it to myself. The desktop machines I tried would hold state for anywhere between 5 and 10 seconds without power, whereas my laptop, with no battery or wall power, would maintain state for an amazing 10 minutes. I used a Linux bootable CD to get an image of memory from a Windows to data carve, and found some interesting things. The footprint for the Linux OS was huge, though, and this interfered with my ability to capture as much memory from the previously running operating system as possible.

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2008-03-05T14:11:00.001-08:00

Building on the story of Optimus Maximus keyboard, will major computer manufacturers follow the example? The OLED technology that is used in the keyboard is still a very expensive alternative to a standard keyboard, but surely there are people out there who wouldn’t mind paying an extra $1000 for a laptop that might look something like this?

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Press release official!! Asus Eee PC 900 9-inch!!

2008-03-05T14:07:00.000-08:00

The new models EeePC officially announced by ASUS! The official press release from Asus for CeBIT Hanover just getting through/ And he announced new EeePC 900. With a new 9-inch screen of higher resolution, more storage, and looking at 600LE.

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Apple game rentals; Safari anti-phishing; Blu-ray notebook drives

2008-03-05T13:51:00.002-08:00

A recently published patent filing from Apple Inc. hints at the possibility of game rentals and a more advanced games management component of the iTunes Store. Meanwhile, readers question the disappearance of Safari's anti-phishing measures. And the power-draw of today's Blu-ray drives has thus far translated into slow adoption by notebook manufacturers.

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Suit Against Microsoft Over Vista OK'd

2008-03-05T13:51:00.001-08:00

SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge said Friday that consumers may go ahead with a class action lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. over the way it advertised computers loaded with Windows XP as capable of running the Vista operating system.

The lawsuit said Microsoft's labeling of some PCs as "Windows Vista Capable" was misleading because many of those computers were not powerful enough to run all of Vista's features, including the much-touted "Aero" user interface.

U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman certified the class action suit but whittled down its scope to focus primarily on whether Microsoft's "Vista Capable" labels created artificial demand for computers during the 2006 holiday shopping season, and inflated prices for computers that couldn't be upgraded to the full-featured version of Vista, which was released at the end of January 2007.

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How cozy were Microsoft and Intel?

2008-03-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

As reported here yesterday, one of the most eye-catching elements of the newly disclosed internal Microsoft e-mails on Windows Vista was an e-mail from Microsoft's John Kalkman to Scott Di Valerio, then in charge of the company's relations with PC makers.

In the February 2007 message, Kalkman explained why the company lowered the requirements for a PC to qualify for the "Windows Vista Capable" designation, to include hardware that didn't support the new operating system's advanced graphics.

More information about how cozy were Microsoft and Intel

Microsoft execs on Vista problems

2008-03-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

A federal judge today unsealed internal Microsoft e-mails that have been used to support the plaintiffs' case in the lawsuit over the "Windows Vista Capable" program. Snippets were previously read aloud in court, but the full messages go further to reveal extensive hand-wringing, at the highest levels of the company, over Windows Vista's hardware and software compatibility problems after the operating system was launched.

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Intel Roadmaps Outline Centrino 2 Platform This June

2008-03-05T13:48:00.001-08:00

New branding, 5.5 Watt 1.2 GHz processors, DisplayPort, two-fold increases in graphics power await notebook enthusiasts this June

You could set your clock to Intel's mobile platform roadmap. For the last three years, the company announced its new processor lineup in January, followed by a chipset and processor refresh in June. June is always a critical month for notebook manufacturers, as the impending school semester spurs the largest volume orders on the year.

This year Intel announced its first generation 45 nanometer desktop, mobile and server processors. New roadmaps issued to notebook partners claim the company will replace its Santa Rosa Centrino platform with the Montevina Centrino 2 platform this June.

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Linpus Releases First OS Aimed at Cheap Linux UMPCs

2008-03-05T13:46:00.001-08:00

In what many are hoping will become a trend, Linpus recently released Linpus Linux Lite, the first commercial OS aimed specifically at low-cost UMPCs such as the EeePC, Cloudbook, OLPC, and Classmate PC. This new distro is designed to run smoothly on as little as a 500MHz CPU, 128MB of RAM and 512MB of storage. The desktops has also been designed with 7″ screens in mind.

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Asus U2E Notebook Unboxing

2008-03-05T13:45:00.001-08:00

Pulling it out of the box

UPDATE: My full review of the ASUS U2E is now online, so you can see a LOT more pics and information about the machine here. Thanks for reading!!

So after hearing that the new, and HIGHLY anticipated

Asus U2E notebook was on its way to the US for the first time, I waited by the docks in order to see the shipment, commandeer it and nab one for myself. Looks like it worked out.

For now, I'm going to go through a classic unboxing of the unit, but you'll have to wait a few more days for the full review.

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Precision M2300, M4300 join Dell Penryn updates

2008-03-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

Along with the M6300, Dell has updated two other Precision notebooks, the 14.1-inch M2300 and 15.4-inch M4300. The systems now have the option of Intel's new 45nm Penryn processors, with specific chips rated anywhere between 2.1 and 2.6GHZ. These cost the same as earlier equivalent Merom chips. Both the 2300 and 4300 have the option of 32 or 64GB SSD drives, but RAM can only scale up to 4GB, unlike the 6300. Video in each case is limited to a Quadro FX 360M. Prices for the M2300 and M4300 start at $1,379.

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Wireless USB for the New Nec LaVie J Series

2008-03-05T10:49:00.001-08:00

Slowly but surely wireless USB is coming to a PC near you! Today this PC is a NEC from the LaVie J series. Three models will be available:

The high end LJ750/LH, powered by a Core 2 Duo U7600 (1.2Ghz), 2GB of RAM, a 12.1” screen (1280x800), 160Gb of HDD, Wifi A/B/G/N, Bluetooth 2.0=EDR and Wireless USB (1735€).

The LJ730/LG with only 80GB of HDD, 1GB of RAM, and Wifi A/B/G.

The LJ700/LH which does not include Windows Office 2007.

The new LaVie J Series is also quite resistant to shocks, with a total pressure on the whole body of a maximum of 300kg or with a point pressure of 25kg, this in a new slim body of 29.8mm.

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Welcome the Inspiron 1525 to the Dell Ubuntu Family

2008-03-05T10:47:00.002-08:00

Earlier today, we added the Inspiron 1525 notebook to our family of Ubuntu products. And as with our other systems shipping Ubuntu 7.10, Dell is including built-in DVD playback capabilities so that you can get the most out of your new Dell.

Customers in the UK, France, Spain, and Germany may place orders today. Later this month, the US Ubuntu website will also be updated with Inspiron 1525. The growth in Linux sales has enabled us to expand Linux onto more platforms over the last year. Thanks again for your support.

Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses

2008-03-05T10:47:00.001-08:00

Company Remains Focused on Championing Consumer Access to High Definition Content

TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

"We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality."

Macbook Air fancy new design

2008-03-05T10:46:00.001-08:00

Take your style anywhere with this ultra-portable laptop, now available in your choice of color. ColorWare offers a variety of standard colors to let you choose your favorite color or create a truly one-of-a-kind color combination. By adding your style to the laptop you can take anywhere, you have everything you want in a computer.

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Intel Montevina to be named Centrino 2

2008-03-05T10:45:00.001-08:00

Intel is planning to rename its brand name for the upcoming notebook Montevina platform to Centrino 2 in order to clear up confusion for consumers, according to sources at notebook makers.

Intel has used the brand name Centrino for four generations of its notebook platforms including Carmel, Sonoma, Napa and Santa Rosa. Although the technology and specifications have continued to improve, the unchanging brand name has left consumers unable to identify the differences, which has also lowered recognition in the market.

Notebook makers agree with Intel's decision, since they believe most consumers are not familiar with the specifics of each platform and codename. The new marketing strategy should give consumers the feeling of a tangible upgrade and will hopefully spur replacement demand.

Intel is set to launch the Centrino 2 platform in Computex Taipei 2008 along with six 45nm notebook CPUs, all with a 1066MHz FSB. Core speeds will range between 2.26-3.06GHz and prices between US$209-851 in 1000-unit tray quantities.

Intel will then launch seven 45nm SFF (small form factor) notebook CPUs, similar to those used in Apple's MacBook Air and soon other ultra-portable notebooks, in the third quarter of this year.

In additional news, Intel shipped over 100 million notebook CPUs in 2007. Shipments are expected to increase to 123 million units by the end of 2008. The company also expects to ship 145 million, 169 million, and 195 million notebook CPUs in 2009-2011, respectively.

Intel declined to respond saying it cannot comment on unannounced products.

Elonex ONE, UK's first 100LE laptop

2008-03-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

The vision of the ONE

Introducing the Elonex ‘ONE, the UK’s first sub £100 laptop. Aimed primarily at the Education Sector, the ONE is an ultra-portable laptop that gives wireless access to internet, eMail, word processing, spreadsheets, and MP3s.

The vision of the ONE project by Elonex is for every child in the UK to have their own laptop. With computing playing such a huge part of modern day life, it is essential to familiarise children with ICT from an early age and to show them the vast range of tools and resources available to them.

As well as being a subject in its own right, ICT is a common thread that can be used in every subject across the whole curriculum. In the 21st century it is an essential that ICT is taught as a fundamental skill which then can be used to improve a child’s learning, to offer a more engaging and interactive education, and to equip the next generation with the skills they need to excel in the business world.

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CloudBook Verdict: Needs More Time in the Oven

2008-03-05T10:40:00.001-08:00

Does the Asus Eee PC have some serious competition in the $399 Everex Cloudbook? On paper it does. This 2-pound notebook boasts more storage than the Eee PC (30GB hard drive versus 2GB to 8GB) and runs the more flexible and slick gOS operating system, providing easy access to all sorts of Web-based goodies, including Google Mail, YouTube, Meebo for instant messaging, and Box.net for online storage.

Standard specs include a 1.2-GHz Via C7-M processor, 512MB of RAM, and two USB 2.0 ports. And Everex promises up to 5 hours of battery life. Add in a webcam, SD Card reader, and DVI port for hooking the CloudBook up to a larger monitor and you have a potential killer value-priced laptop.

On the other hand, there are some major caveats here, starting with the strange touchpad and the need to move windows up to execute simple commands. Here are our impressions so far.

Thinkpad X300 taken apart

2008-03-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

Well got a x300 in my grubby hands on a Lenovo ThinkPad X300 P/N: 6477-1UU and have been playing with it all morning! It runs great and is super quiet other than the fan but is still quieter and feels lighter than a X61.

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Microsoft to Offer Subscription-Based PCs in Russia

2008-03-05T10:28:00.001-08:00

A Russian mobile-phone operator is the latest service provider to team with Microsoft to offer Windows-based PCs on a subscription basis through the company's Unlimited Potential program.

A partnership with Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTS), unveiled Wednesday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, is similar to ones that Microsoft already has in place in Mexico and Brazil as part of a plan to bring affordable technology to developing countries.

Through the partnership, Microsoft in June will deliver PCs running Windows Vista that offer built-in mobile broadband access to customers on a subscription basis, rather than requiring customers to pay for them outright. The two companies also are working on a road map to introduce new mobile communications services that can be accessed on those PCs, but did not specifically say what those new services will be.

Secret recipe inside Intel's latest competitor

2008-03-05T10:27:00.001-08:00

It works like an Intel chip, but looks like the Cell processor.

That's one way of describing the energy-efficient multiple core processors being devised by secretive Montalvo Systems. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company has come up with a design for a chip for portable computers and devices that--when finished and manufactured--will theoretically be capable of running the same software as chips from Intel or Advanced Micro Devices.

Montalvo's chips, however, will fundamentally differ from the latest Core or Opteron processors from Intel and AMD in that the cores on its chip won't be symmetrical, i.e. identical to each other. Instead, Montalvo's chips will sport a mix of high-performance cores and lower-performance cores on the same piece of silicon, similar to the Cell chip devised by IBM, Toshiba, and Sony, according to sources close to the company.

By merging asymmetrical cores onto the same piece of silicon, Montalvo can cut power consumption by dishing applications that don't require a lot of computing firepower onto less-powerful, more energy-efficient cores. Applications could conceivably also be shuttled to low-power cores after their need for high-performance elapses: Microsoft Outlook, for instance, requires a burst of performance during the launch phase but far less once it's running.

CloudBook Unboxing and Very First Impressions

2008-03-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Our CloudBook just arrived and we’ve taken it out of the box and snapped a few photos. Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer is working on a hands-on post right now, and already we’ve encountered some significant problems:

The pointing device: The touchpad is a tiny stretch of plastic in the most awkward place you can possibly imagine, on the right above the keyboard. The left and right mouse buttons are on the left side above the keyboard, forcing you to use two hands to navigate and click.
Windows Going Below the Screen: We got stuck for about an hour, because we couldn’t get past the setup program that runs when you start the CloudBook for the first time. At first we couldn’t get past the screen where you select your timezone, because there didn’t seem to be a Next or OK button to help you select your timezone.Brad Linder suggested to us that we use Alt+Click to drag the setup window above the screen. Indeed, there was a Next button that had been hidden from us all along. Apparently, the gOS operating system installed on the CloudBook is configured such that many of the windows, particularly windows in the setup program and control panels, are taller than 400 pixels (the native resolution). Using Alt+Click or attaching an external screen solves this problem, but it’s very annoying and I guarantee most users will find themselves as confused as we were.Update: This resolution problem may occur on CloudBooks sent to consumers. We just got a note from Everex’s Paul Kim saying:”It looks like the gOS team loaded the wrong size opening windows on a few of the press samples. I’m talking to them now to try to see what happened but will keep you updated.”

Here’s a hands-on video:

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ASUS U6S Ultraportable Notebook

2008-03-05T10:18:00.001-08:00

If you're the type who wants to make a statement with your notebook, names like Apple, VAIO, and Alienware may come to mind. But what about ASUS? While you may know them best for their motherboards and video cards, ASUS is a seasoned veteran when it comes to manufacturing notebooks, and they definitely make more than just EeePCs.

Besides being a notebook contract manufacturer for the likes of Dell, Sony, Samsung and Apple, ASUS also has their own lineup of ASUS branded notebooks, and over the years they have produced some of the most attractive notebooks you may never have heard of. If you haven't flipped beyond the EeePC section of ASUS' notebook catalog, you may be surprised by the massive, burgeoning selection of stylish notebooks they offer.

Thanks to the EeePC's tremendous success which brought with it global mainstream and retail exposure, ASUS' other notebooks are ready to burst onto the scene. With well over a dozen different notebook lines, ASUS has something for almost everyone, and one area where ASUS is especially adept is the design of stylish fashion-conscious notebooks.

While ASUS has several very attractive notebook series, the star of the show is definitely the U-series. Each model in the series offers a seductive blend of portability, features and style. The modern U-series currently consists of three models with a fourth one on the way. While all U-series notebooks share the same sense of style and portability, they differ slightly on emphasis. Today we'll be looking at the most well-rounded of the bunch, the 12.1" ASUS U6.

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Apple Cuts Calendar Q1 Build Rates

2008-03-05T10:17:00.001-08:00

Apple (AAPL) has reduced its production plans for the iPod, the iPhone and the Mac, according to Friedman Billings Ramsey chip analyst Craig Berger.

In a research note yesterday, Berger writes that “recent checks show that Apple has cut both its iPod and iPhone build plans for calendar 1Q.” He says that for both iPods and iPhones, Apple was previously targeting a roughly 50% sequential decline in units produced, but that the company is now targeting a 60% decline.

Berger says the iPod Touch has seen the largest negative revision versus checks last month, “suggesting demand pull for this part has fallen off versus prior expectations.”

Berger says that the trend is negative for both Broadcom (BRCM) which sells the touch-screen controller for both the iPhone and the iPod, and for Marvell (MRVL), which sells WiFi chips for the iPhone.

As for the MacBook, Berger says Apple has cut its calendar Q1 build forecast to down 50%, from down 35%. But he says the company has increased its forecasts for the iMac, going from flat to up 35% quarter over quarter.

Apple today is down $4.92, or 3.8%, $124.44. Marvell is down $1.05, or 8.9% or $10.72; Broadcom is down 88 cents, or 4%, or $20.94.

Inside CNET Labs: Windows Vista SP1 performance

2008-03-05T10:16:00.000-08:00

The long-awaited Service Pack 1 update for Windows Vista brings with it a number of significant bug fixes and other improvements. Microsoft says that with it you will also see a number of noticeable performance improvements as well. In our initial round of testing, we saw a mixed bag of results: we saw a few notable performance improvements under some conditions as well as significant performance degradations in others. For the most part, however, we saw little difference in performance between Vista and the Vista SP1 update.

As we dug a little deeper into Microsoft's claims, we discovered that many of the performance improvements being touted aren't actually directly attributable to SP1. Many of the claimed performance improvements, such as improved boot-time, are actually more a function of improved third-party drivers and applications that are benefiting from a year's worth of programming for Vista, and from the programmers getting continued feedback and guidance from Microsoft. As long as you have been diligent about keeping your Vista system current with the latest Windows updates and third-party drivers, you likely already have many of the potentially performance improving enhancements.

That's not to say that there aren't any potential performance benefits in SP1. An area of Vista the Microsoft developers spent a great deal of time trying to improve was file copying. Under some scenarios, copying files with Vista took longer than with XP. Under other scenarios, Vista, gave the impression that Vista was taking longer to copy files than XP, by not dismissing the copy dialog box sooner. Much of this has to do with the mode in which these file copies are taking place. XP uses a cached I/O mode; Vista uses a predominantly un-cached I/O mode; and Vista SP1 is back to almost always using a cached I/O mode for file transfers. (For an in-depth, under-the-hood discussion of all this, see Microsoft employee Mark Russinovich's blog entry titled Inside Vista SP1 File Copy Improvements. Among other things, Mark is credited with discovering the rootkit on Sony BMG audio CDs in 2005.)

Dell XPS M1730 Gaming Laptop Review

2008-03-05T10:15:00.001-08:00

Recently, we rounded-up a trio of high-end gaming notebooks and found that, with the right hardware, you don't have to make a lot of compromises from a desktop gaming setup. Performance and prices varied, but once you start to pack a pair of hard drives and a pair of graphics cards into a 17-inch notebook, you're looking at $3500 or more. Not to be outdone, Dell has updated their XPS line with the M1730, now available with two of the fastest mobile graphics chips you can get and the fastest mobile CPU on the market.

With a Core 2 Extreme X9000 mobile CPU running at 2.8GHz, a pair of GeForce 8800M GTX cards in SLI, and two 200GB 7200 RPM drives in RAID 0 configuration, it's no surprise that this $4500 monster is fast. Way fast. It's easily the fastest notebook computer we've tested yet. That kind of speed comes with some compromises, of course. The cost is steep, naturally, and the battery life is…well, it's meant to be plugged in all the time. If you're in the market for a high-end desktop replacement notebook, portability and cost are the first things out the window. Let's take a deeper look at Dell's new offering.

Everex Zonbu Notebook

2008-03-05T10:13:00.001-08:00

The Zonbu PC, a $99 miniature desktop that debuted earlier this year, generated some excitement among those with shallow pockets—at least until they saw the fine print. You have to pay the two-year subscription plan (ranging anywhere from $12.95 to $19.95 per month) up front before you can call the desktop your own. In return, you get around-the-clock technical support, 25GB to 100GB worth of online storage, and the comfort of knowing that you'll never have to update your PC manually again. The services are essentially what you're paying for, and so far, Zonbu hasn't looked back.

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Lenovo Photo Library

2008-03-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

Here's a great site with many nice photos of Lenovo's beautiful laptop disign.

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DIY SSD Guide

2008-03-05T10:07:00.001-08:00

Solid state disks (SSDs) are a flash-based memory storage device that carries an insane price premium in the current market. They will usually cost $600 to $1,000 as an upgrade from the manufacturer or computer parts store, making them outside the price range of many consumers. A new cheaper (slightly slower) option is available thanks to low-cost, high-capacity flash cards. This option is using a cheap compact flash to SATA adapter, and purchasing a moderately fast memory card that would fill your storage needs.

For this review I aimed to keep the price less than $100 just to show how affordable this option could be.

Addonics CF To SATA HDD Adapter

Enable Compact Flash (CFI/II) or Micro DriveTM to be used like ordinary 2.5" SATA hard drive
Mounts directly onto notebook 2.5" SATA connector
CF Card can be the primary bootable device containing the OS and applications.
Transparent to the operating system and does not require any drivers
Supports DMA and Ultra DMA modes (only on flash media card with such features).
Compatible with DOS, Windows 3.1, NT4, 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, Vista, Mac, Linux
Price $30 (available here)

Trancend 4GB 266x Compact Flash

Capacity 4GB
Speed 266X (40MB/sec Max)
Support IDE PIO mode 6, Ultra DMA mode 4
Compliant with the CF4.0 specification
Built-in hardware ECC technology
Built-in ATA interface for easy Plug and Play interoperability
Lower power consumption
Price $60

Kingston 4GB 133x Compact Flash

Speed - 25MB/sec. read, 20MB/sec. write
Standardized - complies with CompactFlash Association specification standards
Economical - autosleep mode preserves system battery life
Price $40 (Free after rebate)

Sandisk Ultra II 512MB Compact Flash

Minimum of 10MB/second sequential read speed for ultra-fast image viewing and data transfer
Minimum 9MB/second sequential write speed lets you capture large image files faster
Low power consumption for longer battery life
Price Free, old flash laying around

Setup

One nice perk of these types of devices is they don't require any drivers to work on any system. There are a few requirements though; the system must have SATA, and the compact flash card must support DMA modes. Some older flash cards will have problems, but since 4GB to 16GB flash cards didn't economically exist a few years ago, this should not be a problem.

Building the Perfect Laptop

2008-03-05T10:06:00.001-08:00

"Phyllis! Get me one of those interoffice mail envelopes!"

It was just after lunchtime on Jan. 15, and Peter Hortensius was storming through the cubicles at Lenovo Group's offices in Morrisville, N.C., shouting for his secretary. Hortensius, senior vice-president in charge of laptops, had just heard that Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs had unveiled the supersvelte, aluminum-clad MacBook Air by declaring it the "world's thinnest notebook" and dramatically pulling it out of an interoffice envelope. Lenovo's ThinkPad X300 notebook was due out in February, after a year and a half in development, and Hortensius was alarmed that it could be upstaged before it even made its debut.

His secretary, Phyllis Arrington-McGee, ransacked filing cabinets until she found one of the envelopes. She handed it to Hortensius, who gingerly slipped the X300 inside. "It fits! It fits!" he shouted.

Perhaps no one was more relieved than David Hill, Lenovo's chief designer, who stopped by Hortensius' office right after the envelope experiment. It had been his idea to create the superthin X300, which was originally code-named Kodachi. Hill shared a laugh about the test with Hortensius and later couldn't resist a poke at Jobs' latest creation. "I'm a bit tired of looking at silver computers," said Hill. "I'd never wear a silver business suit."

Such is life in one of the most competitive markets on earth: the portable computer business. The best engineers and designers at the most powerful technology companies slug it out with top-secret plans and ulcer-inducing deadlines. From Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) to Acer, Lenovo (LNVGY), and Toshiba, design and production teams race to carve out their share of the fast-growing market. They fight over ounces and millimeters, but their victories are measured in billions of dollars.

For David Hill, Steve Jobs, and others in the fraternity, the questions are: What is the perfect combination of weight, price, and features? And what new technologies should be included? It's a sign of the intense competition that the revered Jobs received decidedly mixed reviews for Apple's Air, despite its eye-catching looks.

At Lenovo, Hill and his colleagues have a lot riding on the X300, part of its ThinkPad line of computers. The Chinese company bought IBM's (IBM) money-losing, $10 billion PC business in 2005 with hopes of using it to build a prominent global brand. IBM's ThinkPad had long been a favorite of executives and business travelers, but it lost cachet over the years. The goal now with the X300 is to deliver a machine that will burnish Lenovo's reputation worldwide. "We want to send the message that if there's a company in the industry that can continuously develop the most inventive and best-quality products with efficiency, it will be Lenovo," says Chairman Yang Yuanqing.

The X300 isn't perfect. Perhaps no computer can be. But its development over the past 20 months shows the journey of one team striving for perfection, while at the same time being forced to make hard compromises. Lenovo doesn't expect the X300, with prices ranging from $2,700 to $3,000, to be a huge seller. They believe it will be a "halo" product, leading to positive reinforcement for the corporate brand and for the more affordable ThinkPads. The X300 will be prominently featured at the Beijing Olympics, where Lenovo is to be one of the major sponsors.

Lenovo needs a hit, perhaps more than one, to win recognition as one of technology's premier brands. It trails behind leaders HP and Dell in the notebook market, and some competitors are dismissive of its prospects. "We have bigger rivals to worry about, except in China," says Michael S. Dell, chief executive of Dell in an interview.

Thinkpad X300 vs Macbook Air

2008-03-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

It's a tough decision, but here is the comparison between the Apple Macbook Air and the Thinkpad X300. Which one is for you depends on what you prefer.

Analyst Expects Nvidia to Acquire AMD Despite of Chances to Lose x86 License.

2008-03-05T10:01:00.000-08:00

Doug Friedman, an analyst with American Technology Research, said that graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. could well acquire x86 microprocessor maker Advanced Micro Devices in order to “re-architect it”. The acquisition is considered to be useful due to the fact that roadmaps of AMD and Intel Corp. threat Nvidia. The only problem for the graphics giant is that AMD’s x86 license is a non-transferable one.

“We believe AMD [could] face mounting pressure from shareholders, to restructure the company with a focus on a change in leadership,” said the analyst.

Indeed, shareholders of AMD are hardly pleased with the company’s performance in the recent quarters as well as issues with the launch of quad-core microprocessors and the release of DirectX 10 graphics processing units. Nevertheless, late last year AMD managed to secure $622 million from Mubadala Development Company, which means that there are those who believe in AMD.

But despite of the problems that AMD has had, its roadmap of integration graphics cores into central processing units (CPUs) threats Nvidia: not only AMD increases its market share on the market of graphics adapters, but it transforms graphics solutions into commodity, which may potentially affect Nvidia’s revenues going forward.

“The Intel/AMD roadmap of integration of the CPU/GPU could pose a risk to Nvidia, and buying AMD propels Nvidia into a formidable competitor for Intel with the upside coming from Huang’s ability to re-architect AMD’s design,” said Mr. Friedman.

At press time, AMD’s market capitalization was $3.82 billion and it has $1.89 billion in cash. Nvidia Corp.’s market capitalization at press time was $13.01 billion, besides, the company had $1.85 billion in bank.

Perhaps, Jen-Hsun Huang, the chief executive of Nvidia, could re-architect Advanced Micro Devices in order to make it profitable. However, due to the fact that wide cross-licensing agreement between AMD and Intel, which is also believed to cover x86 instruction set, does not allow AMD to transfer any of Intel’s technologies to any third-party. As a result, if AMD is acquired by Nvidia, the new company will not have rights to produce x86 central processing units (CPUs) or utilize any technologies from Intel.

It is uncertain whether Nvidia, or any other company that has no wide cross-licensing agreement with Intel that covers x86 instruction set, is interested in getting AMD and not interested in making CPUs. But what is almost certain is that various antitrust organizations would be against the two suppliers of discrete GPUs becoming one.

About the Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update

2008-03-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

The Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.5.1 Leopard. It includes general operating system improvements that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. For detailed information about security updates, please visit this website.

Important: Read before installing

It is recommended that you back up your system prior to installing any updates.
The installation process should not be interrupted, even if the progress bar remains unchanged for several minutes. If a power outage or other interruption occurs during installation, use the standalone installer (see below) from Apple Support Downloads to update.
You may experience unexpected results if you have third-party system software modifications installed, or if you've modified the operating system through other means. (This does not apply to normal application software installation.)
If issues occur during installation--for example, if Software Update quits unexpectedly--please see this article.

Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1: available now

2008-03-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has slightly changed its plans on how Windows Vista SP1 will reach users. Instead of a "March release", the company has decided to rethink the way users will have access to this release, so here is the new timetable:

- Beta testers: NOW!
- Volume license: English release now, other languages to follow
- MSDN and TechNet subscribers: sometime mid February
- Download center and Windows Update: sometime from mid March

To start with, if you are planning installing this update, then you should read the list of Hotfixes and Updates in Windows Vista Service Pack 1.

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UPDATED: Hackers - 1 : SP1 - 0It does seem that Microsoft hasn’t been successful in closing off all the hacks that allow non-genuine copies of Vista S

2008-03-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

It does seem that Microsoft hasn’t been successful in closing off all the hacks that allow non-genuine copies of Vista SP1 to pass off as genuine ones. After a few minutes of searching the darker corners of the Internet and a few seconds in the Command Prompt I was able to fool Windows into thinking that it was genuine.

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ASUS Eee PC rooted out of ASUS Eee PC rooted out of the box

2008-03-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

We recently acquired an ASUS Eee PC (if you want to know more about it, a lot of reviews are available on internet). The first thing we did when we put our hands at the ASUS Eee PC was to test its security. The ASUS Eee PC comes with a customized version of Xandros operating system installed, and some other bundled software like Mozilla Firefox, Pidgin, Skype and OpenOffice.org.

Analysing the running processes of the ASUS Eee PC, the first thing that caught our attention was the running smbd process (the sshd daemon was started by us, and is not enabled by default).

DreamBook Light IL1 (I'd Love 1)

2008-03-04T11:32:00.001-08:00

Another competitor to Asus' Eee PC. It seems everyone is trying to compete with this new trend of ultra portable laptops at a low cost.

Specifications

Major features:	Footprint: Optimized for 7'' Wide LCD Processor: VIA C7-M 1.0G Chipset: VIA VX800U Graphics: Embedded System memory: Up to 1GB LCD: 7'' TFT; 800*480 Drive: Preserve on IDE for 1.8''HDD Battery compartment: Space for 18650-type x4, upgradeable to 6 cells Speaker: Stereo Housing: New Design
CPU:	VIA C7-M 1.0G
Core Logic:	VIA VX800U
Syetem Storage:	Option 1: NAND flash 2GB, 4GB or 8GB Option 2: 1.8''HDD 40G PATA/80G PATA
Boot ROM:	Phoenix code, 1MB flash ROM
System Memory:	Embedded DDR2, 512MB or 1GB
LCD:	7”-wide TFT LCD Color mode: 800x480, with LED backlit, TTL interface
Graphics:	Embedded in VX800U
Graphics Memory:	Share system memory
I/O ports:	USBx2, Headphone out, Mic-in, DC-in RJ-11 RJ-45 VGA-Out
Audio/Modem:	HD audio codec, ALC267.
Audio I/O:	Headphone out, Mic-in, Internal mono MIC, Internal stereo speakers
Wireless:	802.11b/g; USB I/F, on module board
LAN:	Built-in Ethernet
Memory Card Reader:	3-in-1, SD/MMC/MS
Webcam (optional):	640 x 480, 0.3M
Embedded controller:	ENE KB3310 (w/KBC)
Battery:	2 cell LiFePO4, 183665 x 2,( 3600mA, 6.5V) 4 cell Li-Ion, 18650x4 (4800mA, 7.4V) 6 cell Li-Ion, 18650x6 (7200mA, 7.4V) 6 cell LiFePO4, 18650x6 (5100mA, 6.5V)-- TBD Removable battery pack with hard pack, gauge and connector
Buttons/Switches:	Lid switch (magnetic switch) System On/Off button
Status indicators:	Power (dual color) , Battery status (dual color), --- Visible with lid closed WiFi On/Off , Caplock, Numlock, HDD active
Keyboard:	80keys, Travel: 1.5mm +-0.2mm, Keyforce: 60+-15g
Touch pad:	Standard finger-sensing pad with two buttons
Dimensions (W x D x H):	244mm x 172mm x 28.5mm (front side)
Weight:	1.1kg

Civil Liberties Groups Sue Homeland Security for Records on Intrusive Questioning and Searches of U.S. Travelers

2008-03-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

Information Sought in Response to Growing Complaints of Harassment at U.S. Borders

San Francisco - The Asian Law Caucus (ALC) and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed suit today against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for denying access to public records on the questioning and searches of travelers at U.S. borders. Filed under the Freedom of Information Act, the suit responds to growing complaints by U.S. citizens and immigrants of excessive or repeated screenings by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

ALC, a San Francisco-based civil rights organization, received more than 20 complaints from Northern California residents last year who said they were grilled about their families, religious practices, volunteer activities, political beliefs, or associations when returning to the United States from travels abroad. In addition, customs agents examined travelers' books, business cards collected from friends and colleagues, handwritten notes, personal photos, laptop computer files, and cell phone directories, and sometimes made copies of this information. When individuals complained, they were told, "This is the border, and you have no rights."

"When the government searches your books, peers into your computer, and demands to know your political views, it sends the message that free expression and privacy disappear at our nation's doorstep," said Shirin Sinnar, staff attorney at ALC. "The fact that so many people face these searches and questioning every time they return to the United States, not knowing why and unable to clear their names, violates basic notions of fairness and due process."

Dell 'committed' to AMD despite consumer kit shift to retail

2008-03-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

With almost mud-like clarity, Dell has explained the way it's balancing the availability of AMD-based computers between its online, phone and retail sales channels. But one thing it wants us to be certain about is that it remains committed to AMD product lines.

A number of stories popped up on the web this morning claiming Dell was shifting all of its laptops and desktops that come with AMD processors over to its newly formed retail pipelines.

When we checked, there were still plenty of such machines on Dell's UK and US websites, so we asked the PC giant to put us in the picture.

"Currently the majority of our consumer AMD-based systems are available through our retail partners such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Staples, and through telephone sales," it told us. However, "our AMD-based energy-efficient consumer desktop, the Energy Star 4.0 Inspiron 531 is also still available on Dell.com."

Only one AMD offering on the website, then? Not quite. "Dell sells a full range of AMD-powered notebooks, desktops and servers online," we were told.

Intriguingly, that last quote was soon changed by Dell to read: "Dell also sells a range of AMD-powered business notebooks, desktops and servers online." The italics are ours.

So here's where we stand. Consumers seeking AMD-based Dell PCs have to go retail. Unless they want the Inspiron 531 desktop, an Inspiron 1501 laptop, or, if they're in the UK, an Inspiron 1721 laptop.

The look & design of the new Apple Macbook Pro 2008 series

2008-03-04T11:29:00.001-08:00

The new Macbook Pro is coming!
Apples special event is upcoming this month and what everybody expects is the new Macbook Pro that we are all are waiting for!
Till now nobody knows how the new Macbook Pro will look like, or even if they get a new design.
What we know is that the old design is out for almost 5 years now, so it’s time for an update. And what we have learned, is that Apples new looks are all inspired by the iphone, that’s what the Macbook Air is exactly looking like. A darker grey, some black elements and even more cleaner & rounder design!

Lenovo ThinkPad X300 6478 - Core 2 Duo SL7100 1.2 GHz - 13.3" TFT

2008-03-04T11:24:00.000-08:00

ThinkPad X Series notebooks put the ultra in ultraportable. They're designed for on-the-go professionals who need maximum portability and light weight. And there's no trade-off in usability or durability. The latest breakthrough - the amazing ThinkPad X300 - combines an ultra-thin DVD burner, Solid State storage and next-generation ThinkPad "roll cage" technology to create the thinnest, lightest full-featured notebook in the 13" widescreen class. And it's the "greenest" ThinkPad ever.

Microsoft responds to Save XP petition

2008-03-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's decision to discontinue OEM and packaged sales of Windows XP at the end of June - leaving businesses and consumers with the less-than-celebrated Vista as their only choice of Windows operating system on new PCs - has drawn considerable criticism and led to an outpouring of support for the continuation of XP sales.

Over 75,000 people have signed Infoworld's 'Save XP' petition; a Web site complete with an XP countdown timer, video tributes, and a series of articles detailing why a large number of businesses, organisations and consumers are unhappy with Microsoft's decision to force them into adopting the yet-to-be widely accepted Vista operating system.

In late November, a survey of 961 IT professionals conducted by King Research found 90 per cent of respondents had concerns about migrating to Vista. Apprehension stemmed primarily from stability issues, but also due to compatibility problems and the cost in both hardware and software terms of migrating. 44 per cent said they would consider non-Windows operating systems to avoid these migration issues, with many stating that virtualization had made it easier to implement alternative operating systems.

WARF Charges Intel Corporation with Patent Infringement of UW-Madison Invention That Speeds Computer Processing

2008-03-04T11:22:00.002-08:00

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is charging Intel Corporation with patent infringement of a University of Wisconsin-Madison invention that significantly improves the efficiency and speed of computer processing. WARF, a private, non-profit corporation that is a supporting organization to the UW-Madison, filed a complaint yesterday against Intel in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

WARF filed this complaint to ensure that the interests of the UW-Madison and its inventors are protected and that WARF receives the compensation to which it is entitled for Intel's unlicensed use of the invention. This compensation will be used to advance continued research at the university. The foundation's complaint identifies the Intel CoreTM 2 Duo microarchitecture as infringing WARF's United States Patent No. 5,781,752, entitled "Table Based Data Speculation Circuit for Parallel Processing Computer."

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NEC launches Vista downgrade product

2008-03-04T11:22:00.001-08:00

The Japanese computer supplier NEC has officially launched a product to let network administrators downgrade machines running Windows Vista to XP.

The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) first made the product, NEC FlexLoad, available to customers on 25 January. However, the product was officially launched on Tuesday.

Customers with a Vista licence can purchase the two-DVD pack for £7, according to David Newbould, NEC UK's product marketing manager. The first DVD sets up a partition on the hard drive and installs core XP files and drivers, while the second DVD installs the remaining XP files in the partition, said Newbould.

NEC recommends that customers burn a Vista recovery CD before installing the XP partition.

From June, OEMs can no longer supply machines with XP as the operating system, said Newbould, yet customers still want to buy machines running XP.

New Vista SP1 Code Leaks to Web

2008-03-04T11:21:00.001-08:00

Paying customers may not get their hands on Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2008 for weeks, but pirates can download the brand-new code for either today, according to searches at several BitTorrent trackers.

The RTM, or release to manufacturing, versions of both operating systems can easily be found on BitTorrent tracker sites such as the Pirate Bay, which has made them available since yesterday.

How Many Downloaders?

One torrent of Microsoft Corp.'s newest server operating system, Windows Server 2008, lists 42 "seeders," the term for a computer that has a complete copy of the torrent file, and nearly 190 "leechers," or computers that have downloaded only part of the complete torrent. The Windows Server 2008 torrent installs a 60-day trial edition, according to users on Pirate Bay who have downloaded the 2.5GB disk image.

Future CloudBooks to Have Touch, SSD, 22-inch Screens?

2008-03-04T11:20:00.001-08:00

Everex’s first $399 ultraportable CloudBook is set to go on sale on February 15 at Walmart.com. The low-cost laptop takes direct aim at Asus’ Eee PC. But will Everex’s larger hard drive, better web-cam and a new improved Linux OS outshine the popular Eee PC? The Asus system has already sold close to 400,000 units.

Paul C. Kim, Director of Marketing at Everex, isn’t the least bit worried. The specs of the first-generation CloudBook are well-known, but Kim told us what future revisions will bring to the table later this year. Some of the highlights include:

Solid State Drives: Everex is considering making a future iteration of the CloudBook with a solid state drive.
Touch Screen: 45 to 60 days after the first version of the Cloudbook hits stores in February, Everex plans on releasing a touch screen version of the CloudBook to developers. They anticipate a consumer version hitting the market in Q3.
Feminine Colors: The CloudBook will be available in what Arnold Schwarzenegger would call “girlie man” colors. Kim predicts we will see some colors that are popular with the feminine crowd. He didn’t say what colors would available, but we’ve taken our best guess and created the image at right. We can only hope the color CloudBooks are less garrish in reality than they are in our imaginations.
Larger Screens: The CloudBook’s original 7-inch screen is only the start. Not only will a 9-inch screen system be released but they are even considering a 22-inch system.

No spin: Ars reviews the MacBook Air with solid state drive

2008-03-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

What does $1,300 extra really get you?

The MacBook Air is nice, but as we discovered in our in-depth review, not everything is sunshine and roses—at least with the hard drive model. But there's a higher-end Air as well—1.8GHz with a 64GB solid-state flash drive instead of your traditional ATA hard drive. We picked up an SSD Air so that we could try it out, run some benchmarks, and report back to you on how much (or little) of a difference that extra $1,300 makes.

Check here for more info

Windows 7 M1: Nothing to get excited about

2008-03-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

Industry Inside – I have been lucky enough to get an early peek at Microsoft's next operating system, Windows 7. But if you were expecting dramatic visual changes and a departure from Vista, Milestone 1 truly disappoints. But then, M1 has a different purpose, it is not intended to provide eye candy. Here's what you could expect from M1 - in the very unlikely case you'd come across the installation DVD.

No matter how you slice it, Microsoft surely has an interesting ride with Vista. It is this OS that has cost several billion dollars to develop and was intended to revolutionize the way we work with computers. It didn't quite happen and Vista probably has drawn more criticism than any other of the firm's OSs before. But, of course, it isn't quite what you would call a failure, since more than 100 million copies have been sold in a year or so.

Read more:
More Windows 7 screenshots surfacing
Windows 7 M1 breaks cover, scheduled for a H2 release?

Torvalds pans Apple with 'utter crap' putdown

2008-03-04T11:11:00.001-08:00

Apple's much-touted new operating system, OS X Leopard, is in some ways worse than Windows Vista, says the founder of the Linux open source project, Linus Torvalds.

Torvalds was in Melbourne last week for the linux.conf.au conference and was invited to pass judgement on OS X versus Windows Vista in a wide-ranging interview.

"I don't think they're equally flawed - I think Leopard is a much better system," he said. "(But) OS X in some ways is actually worse than Windows to program for. Their file system is complete and utter crap, which is scary."

He poured scorn on the modern trend to treat a new version or update of an operating system as a cause for major celebration and marketing.

"An operating system should be completely invisible," he said. "To Microsoft and Apple (it is) a way to control the whole environment ... to force people to upgrade their applications and hardware."

Lenovo's most adaptable adapter

2008-03-04T11:08:00.000-08:00

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – February 5, 2008 – Lenovo today announced its new ThinkPad and IdeaPad 90W slim AC/DC combo adapter, the company's first all-in-one adapter designed to charge other electronic devices such as most cell phones and PDAs; and many mobile music devices (using optional connector tips.) At about a half-inch thick and 33 percent smaller than Lenovo's previous combo adapter, it's roughly the size of a deck of playing cards – small enough to easily fit into a shirt pocket.

Traditionally, the power adapter for a notebook PC has been referred to as a "brick;" a weighty, bulky necessity that is inconvenient to travel with. A further inconvenience for business travelers, particularly those who fly a lot and spend time in airport security lines, is the need for multiple adapters for multiple devices. Lenovo's new ThinkPad and IdeaPad 90W slim AC/DC combo adapter is 25 percent lighter than the company’s previous model, and helps business travelers cut down on the number of devices they must carry.

Toshiba Satellite X205-SLI now with Penryn

2008-03-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

We know you Toshiba lovers out there have been twiddling your thumbs for weeks on end just waiting, praying, hoping that the beastly X205-SLI would get updated with a Penryn chip. Thankfully for all four of you, the wait is over. Announced today, Tosh is cranking out the 17-inch X205-SLi2 and X205-SLi4, which both house a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo T8100 processor, integrated HD DVD-ROM / DVD burner, built-in Harman Kardon speakers (with subwoofer) and twin 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT GPUs. As for the former, you'll find 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a pair of 160GB 5400 RPM drives, a 1,440 x 900 resolution panel, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, 802.11a/g/n WiFi, webcam / microphone and a fingerprint reader to boot. The SLi4 ups the ante by tossing in an extra gig of memory, 7200 RPM HDDs, an external USB HDTV tuner, 1,680 x 1,050 panel and a bundled remote. Grab yours now for $1,999.99 or $2,499.99, respectively.

HP Pavilion tablet

2008-03-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

HP now offering the tablet at various price ranges: $1,299 for the 2.1Ghz AMD Turious, 2GB DD2 Ram, GeForce Go 6150, 160GB disk, LightScribe dual-layer burner and a fingerprint reader, while $2,311 bumps you up to a 2.2GHz Turion, 250GB disk, Verizon 3G ExpressCard, and Vista Ultimate. And, of course, that 12.1-inch touchscreen.

Cloudbook promotional video

2008-03-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

Well it has finally arrived, hopefully it'll prove more tasteful than this promo video we obtained on it. We'll have the full review in the next few weeks.

Third party Eee PC accessories

2008-03-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Asus Eee PC has truly been a great and impressive device from the moment it was first released. However, accessories haven't always been easy to find for it. Well now, Brando has begun making its own accessories for the Eee PC; a 23$ travel and 18$ car charger.

Check out them out here

Xbox 360 Laptop???

2008-03-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

That's right, you've heard correctly! Microsoft Xbox 360 fan and modder extraordinare, Benjamin Heckendorn has taken modding to a whole new level. He has actually broken down the Xbox 360 and managed to create a Halo 3 Elite Xbox 360 laptop. Quite impressive! What will he think of next?

Check out this video for a hands on look at this great masterpiece of modding creativity:

Install gOS on the Asus Eee PC

2008-03-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

Yes it's possible, now you can have your Asus Eee PC looking and running exactly the same operating system as the upcoming Everex Cloudbook. The Google themed, Ubuntu based OS is quite a bit different than the Xandros based OS that comes with the Eee PC, however if you're looking to install it you'll need an external drive, a wired internet connection, and about an hour to spare.

Video of Noahpad by E-Lead

2008-03-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

The Noadpad is a strange new innovation in ultra portable laptops. What's so strange you ask? Take a look at the video and see for yourself!

Dell Latitude E-series Revealed

2008-03-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

Dell’s newest laptop, soon to be announced Latitude E-series has been leaked. All we know at the time is it will weigh 4.25 pounds, come in 14.1-inch and 15.4-inch versions, and will have WXGA and WXGA+ LED backlit displays. We believe they will also feature DisplayPort, eSATA, and ExpressCard slots. More soon to come.

Rock Dishes Quad-Core, 8800M GTX SLI Packing Notebook

2008-03-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

Original Story

Stop the presses and brace yourself, Rock may have just announced the most insane notebook ever. It's called the Xtreme XL8 and if the name doesn't do it for you, how do an Intel quad-core processor and a pair of 8800M GTXs in SLI sound? Yep, that's what I thought: speechless.

Having recovered from the shock of the initial press release here's the lowdown on the details. The processor in question is an Intel X6800 which, as the eagle eyed among you may notice, is a desktop processor. In fact it's a last-generation, 65nm processor rather than a Penryn chip, but don't be put off because it's still an engineering feat of brilliance to cram one into a laptop; even if similar things have been done before. Anyone remember when Pentium 4- and Athlon X2-fitted laptops were popular?

In addition to the impressive processor, Rock (or whichever Taiwanese OEM is producing this behemoth) has also somehow found a way to fit not one, but two 8800M GTXs in the Xtreme SL8 and I honestly suspect Deep Magic has been leveraged to allow the choice of either 1TB worth of 5400rpm or 600GB or 7200rpm hard drives. If that wasn't enough the screen, while only 17in wide, also boasts the 1,920 x 1,200 resolution likely needed to stress the hardware beneath.

Also found on the system is Draft-N wireless (and an Ethernet port despite their alleged redundancy) and an HD DVD drive. Okay, so I don't personally think it's the right HD format to offer but as Rock has made this standard across the entire range of products I won't knock the company for it - besides for all I know HD DVD could still emerge the victor.

Rock will begin taking pre-orders in mid-February, while pricing is slated to be between £2,500 and £3,000 depending on specification. Now, let's be serious for a moment, if you have to think about whether you can afford this system then you can't afford this system. So, those that can, first: I hate you, second: do it, do it now.

Links:
Rock Direct