Author Archive
Sep
NetBook Roundup
GigaOm has a short but informative overview of currently available NetBooks. Which one do I want? I’m leaning towards the Acer Aspire One, even more attractive after a recent price cut: This 2.1-pound netbook approaches more of a sweet spot in terms of pricing: The Linux version is $329, while the XP model is only [...]
Aug
Amazon: We’ve Got The XP
What hot new operating system is Amazon pushing? Windows XP, of course!
Aug
Retro-Futuristic Watch Design From Casio
Boing Boing Gadgets’ John Brownlee discovers the coolest $99 watch ever! The Casio G8100A-5 invokes a retro-futuristic aesthetic that Brownlee likens to Star Wars. Others are noticing a steampunk look and feel. Whatever the design influence, it’s a nice looking watch — and I really want one.
Aug
Asus eee Refurb Deal
You can get the Asus eee 4g for $299 from Geeks.com. It’s refurbished, but priced $100 less than new — the same price as the much less desirable 2G model, in fact. The 4G has a 4gb ssd for storage, 512 mb ram, and a 900 mhz Celeron M processor.
Aug
Android Coming Soon To T-Mobile
T-Mobile may launch the first Android-based smartphone this year, according to a report in the NY Times: The phone will be made by HTC, one of the largest makers of mobile phones in the world, and is expected to go on sale in the United States before Christmas, perhaps as early as October. T-Mobile will [...]
Aug
Palm Treo Pro Leaked
The Palm Treo Pro appeared briefly on Palm’s website this week, and leaked images and specs of the attractive device are making the rounds. Reported specs: 400Mhz CPU, 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM, 320 x 320 touch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR, HSDPA, camera, SDHD expansion slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The OS is Windows Mobile [...]
Aug
Chaos Manor
The latest installment of Jerry Pournelle’s Computing at Chaos Manor column is up, and worth reading (as always). Chaos Manor was a monthly column in the print edition of Byte magazine back in the 80′s and 90′s, and the main reason I bought the magazine each month. Now it’s online and free — although Dr. [...]
Aug
Free Commander – Windows File Manager
Back in the MS-DOS days, Norton Commander was the file manager to beat. Having two panes makes file copying and moving much simpler, and the keyboard shortcuts quickly became second nature to power users. You can get similar functionality, including keyboard shortcuts and two-pane navigating, with the free Windows program Free Commander. I’ve replaced the [...]
Aug
New PC Based On Apple II Tech: $12
Some optimistic souls at the MIT International Development Design Summit are hoping to build a $12 computer for the developing world, based on Apple II technology. Good luck, guys! Personally, I still think the Apple IIc is the perfect form factor for a home PC. Mine, circa 1988, had a ‘composite’ color monitor that I [...]
Aug
Nokia Gets Zuned
Nokia is working on a Zune content deal with Microsoft, according to ZuneScene (via an unnamed source). This deal would apparently be similar to the iTunes phones offered by Motorola, and the resulting handset would not be the Zune Phone Microsoft is also rumored to be working on. If you buy a lot of content [...]
Aug
Lenova’s Netbook
Crave reports that Lenova is joining the Netbook parade, with a model starting at $399 with 512MB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. Unlike most other Netbooks, a solid state drive option will not offered. The Lenova IdeaPad S10 will sport a 10.2-inch LED-backlit display and an Intel Atom processor, and will be running [...]
Jul
Return Of The Windows CE Clamshells
Engadget’s “Keepin’ It Real Fake” headlines used to be reserved for actual knockoffs — mostly of iPods and iPhones. But they’ve now taken to calling every small, cheap laptop a “knockoff” Asus Eee, no matter how little the device has in common with the popular netbook (yeah, we don’t get it, either). The latest [...]
Jul
Roku Hits 100,000
The Roku Netflix set-top box has reportedly sold close to 100,000 units. That’s an impressive number for a device that’s only been on the market for a few months. I watch Netflix through our home theater pc, and it’ a very positive experience — I can see why the inexpensive Roku box is doing so [...]
Jul
Dell’s Cute New Hybrid PC Drops Mañana
Dell is introducing a stylish small form factor PC tomorrow. Dubbed the Studio Hybrid, the small pc is 80 percent smaller than a traditional PC and uses 70% less electricity — thanks in part to the mobile processor under the hood. It will be available in seven different colors. Crave reports that the Studio Hybrid [...]
Jul
NYT Op Ed Advocates Solar Power From Space
The NY Times (of all places) has an interesting look at an old idea — collecting solar energy from Earth orbit and beaming it to the surface: A space solar power system would involve building large solar energy collectors in orbit around the Earth. These panels would collect far more energy than land-based units, which [...]
Jul
Moblin Linux Soon To Enter Community Development Phase
Intel will soon turn over to the Open Source community the mobile version of Linux they’ve been developing, known as Moblin. The official turn-over of the customized Linux stack’s source code will happen within the “next few weeks”, according to PC World. One version of the Moblin User Interface:
Jul
Another Mac Clone Maker For Apple To Sue
OpenTech is the latest PC maker marketing their machines as Mac-compatible. They hope to avoid legal pitfalls by not pre-installing OS X. That may not be good enough for Apple, who maintains that merely claiming compatibility is a violation of their legal rights. That’s for the courts to decide, but the truth is that with [...]
Jul
Backup Windows Drivers
I recently deleted the recovery partition on my Compaq laptop to recover some much needed space. My only real concern about this move is that I would need to have drivers handy when reinstalling Windows from an OEM Disk. Double Driver, which I just came across on Lifehacker, solves this problem. The utility will selectively [...]
Jul
Asus Eee 1000HD – How To Dilute A Brand
Yet another version of the Asus Eee has been announced, the Eee PC 1000HD. The SlashGear take: ASUS seems to have confused “innovation” and “repetition”, since they’re apparently committed to churning out every possible combination of Eee PC possible. Latest to clog up comparison charts is the 1000HD, the dreary offspring of the existing 1000H [...]
Jul
E Ink Display On Cover Of October Esquire
Seriously cool: The owner of Esquire said Tuesday that it plans to publish the magazine’s October issue using so-called electronic ink to mark the publication’s 75th anniversary. Hearst said the issue will feature a cover across which various words and images will scroll ” news-ticker style — thanks to technology developed by Cambridge, Mass.-based E [...]