| When Blu-ray and laptops collide |
| | Sony's Vaio FW270 features a Blu-ray drive and a fair price.
If you're waiting for Blu-ray players to dip below the $99 mark before replacing your DVD player, let us offer an alternate solution: a Blu-ray-equipped laptop.
While Blu-ray drives first appeared on huge laptops with 18.... |
| | 11/27/2008 7:34 PM (3d 21h 21m ago) |
| Newsweek: Why we need better batteries |
| | Batteries are becoming the weak link in our high-tech lives as computers and other technology advances quickly but batteries--constrained by the laws of physics and chemistry--evolve very slowly. |
| | 11/26/2008 4:30 PM (5d 25m ago) |
| Apple releases Safari 3.2.1 |
| | Filed under: Software Update
Apple just updated Safari to version 3.2.1. According to Software Update, "This update includes stability improvements and is recommended for all Safari users." Apple updated Safari only a few weeks ago, adding protection from phishing websites. If you've been paying attention to the Apple updates this week, then you know that they've done some heavy updating in this area. The past few days have seen updates to iPhone/iPod touch, iTunes, Apple TV, Pro Applications, Trackpad, and QuickTime.You can get the Safari update, or any other updates you might be missing, by opening Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update). You can also download the installer packages from the Apple Support Downloads website.Thanks to monu, and others for the tips! TUAWApple releases Safari 3.2.1 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
| | 11/25/2008 4:08 PM (6d 48m ago) |
| Samsung starts mass production of 256GB SSDs |
| | (Credit: Samsung)
The main things keeping solid-state drives out of the mainstream are their high costs and low capacities. Currently, 128GB SSDs sell for around $400, far more expensive than comparable traditional mechanical drives while still holding less data.
Samsung's aiming to fix that with its new 256GB SSD, ... |
| | 11/24/2008 5:42 PM (6d 23h 13m ago) |
|
| | 11/24/2008 5:41 PM (6d 23h 14m ago) |
| Ease Your Holiday Travel: TSA Announces "Checkpoint Friendly" Laptop Bag Procedures |
| | To help streamline the security process and better protect laptops, TSA recently encouraged manufacturers to design bags that will produce a clear and unobstructed image of the laptop when undergoing X-ray screening. A design that meets this objective will enable TSA to allow laptops to remain in bags for screening.If you intend to use a "checkpoint friendly" laptop bag once they are on the market, make sure to check that: - Your laptop bag has a designated laptop-only section that you can lay flat on the X-ray belt - There are no metal snaps, zippers or buckles inside, underneath or on-top of the laptop-only section - There are no pockets on the inside or outside of the laptop-only section - There is nothing in the laptop compartment other than the laptop - You have completely unfolded your bag so that there is nothing above or below the laptop-only section, allowing the bag to lie flat on the X-ray belt Remember, a well designed "checkpoint friendly" bag must be packed appropriately if you intend to leave your laptop in your bag for screening. |
| | 11/20/2008 3:25 PM (11d 1h 31m ago) |
| BusinessWeek: HP "out-touches" Apple |
| | Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Portables, Apple, Macbook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air
Talk about being slightly touched. Arik Hesseldahl's BusinessWeek article, published today, says "...as of Nov. 19, Hewlett-Packard has beaten Apple to the punch, announcing the first multi-touch-enabled notebook PC, the tx2. I can't help but wonder whether Apple just lost an important race." Not only did Apple not lose an important race, the tx2 isn't the first multi-touch notebook. Engadget points out that the Dell Latitude XT, which offered multi-touch technology, came on the scene back in July of '08. But even that wasn't first, because the MacBook Air was introduced on January 15th of 2008 with a multi-touch trackpad. "Well," you say, "there's a difference between a touchable trackpad and a touchable display." You're right: one's meant to be touched and one isn't. The reason the trackpad on the MacBook Pro and he MacBook has gotten larger, smoother and glassier is because Apple is (and will continue to) inviting you to do more with it than tap and click. Multi-touch gestures on a notebook ought to be delivered via the surface that's made to be touched, not the surface made to be viewed. On the iPhone those surfaces are one & the same because there's no other option.
But really, the notion that Apple "lost an important race" by not being first is the biggest error here. Apple wasn't the first to release jukebox software, a portable music player or a mobile phone. Yet, iTunes, the iPod and the iPhone are the most successful examples of each. Apple's greatest strength is patience. The designers and developers at Apple know you want a fully touch-enabled laptop. So do the folks at HP. The difference is that Apple's staff are patient and careful enough to execute it in exactly the right way, not just the most obvious way. [Via MacDailyNews]TUAWBusinessWeek: HP "out-touches" Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:00:00... |
| | 11/20/2008 4:30 AM (11d 12h 25m ago) |
| Toshiba Introduces Half-Terabyte 2.5-inch Hard Disk Drive With Ultra-Quiet Acoustics and Enhanced Durability |
| | State-of-the-Art Design Features Provide a Valuable Storage Solution for High-Capacity Mobile PCs, Game Consoles, Printers and External Storage
Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today announced a half-terabyte 5,400 RPM, Serial-ATA (SATA) 3.0 Gb/s 2.5-inch HDD with a number of enhanced features that improve the user [...] |
| | 11/19/2008 5:15 PM (11d 23h 41m ago) |
| Transcend thumbdrive gets tiny, colorful |
| | Look at me! I am colorful and have a loop.(Credit: Transcend)
Facing a flash-based memory market downturn, flash chip makers are getting creative. Recently Super Talent unveiled a fancy thumbdrive with a black leather carrying case and on Wednesday, Transcend announced its new USB drive that's no less ... |
| | 11/13/2008 5:10 PM (17d 23h 46m ago) |
| Best Buy's Blue Label: So far, so good |
| |
(Credit: CBS Interactive)
When Best Buy unveiled its Blue Label program last month, we were skeptical. The program seemed good enough in concept: Best Buy asked its customers for their most desired laptop features, then worked with HP and Toshiba to develop laptops that delivered those features. But being jaded ... |
| | 11/13/2008 5:09 PM (17d 23h 46m ago) |
| PC Notebook Computer Batteries Recalled Due to Fire and Burn Hazard |
| | These lithium-ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. |
| | 11/08/2008 11:13 PM (22d 17h 43m ago) |
| HP gets serious about Netbooks |
| |
The Mini 1000 MIE has a custom HP interface meant to hide its Linux OS from users.(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)
After a brief experiment in the education market, Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday is set to introduce a whole line of Netbooks for mainstream consumers.
The HP Mini 1000 comes in three versions, with starting prices ranging from $379 to $699, and will be available at retailers worldwide starting Wednesday.
HP first dipped its toe into the mini-notebook market back in April with the Mini-Note 2133, which it claimed was strictly for K through 12 students and some business travelers. At the time, HP was adamant that this was not meant to play in the same arena as the consumer-oriented Netbook from Asus, the Eee PC. Though it won't break out the numbers, HP now says the sales of the 2133 "exceeded all expectations."
But the new HP Mini 1000, Mini 1000 MIE, and the Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition are very much intended for consumers. So what's changed in just six months? The look and feel of the Mini 1000 line isn't drastically different from the 2133, but the Netbook market has had a dramatic makeover, though it's more noticeable abroad than here in the U.S.
... |
| | 10/29/2008 5:50 PM (32d 23h 6m ago) |
| HP Mini 1000 |
| | Announced in late October 2008, just days after the 2133 Mini-Note had seen major price cuts, a new HP netbook has been announced. Featuring a plastic case and an optionally larger, yet cheaper 10.2" screen - the HP Mini 1000 and MIE Linux are two competitively priced options powered by the Intel Atom, unlike their older Via powered relatives. Featuring the same old 1.6GHz Atom N270, the standard 1024 x 600 resolution, 512 to 2GB of DDR2 RAM and a 8 or 16GB SSD or 60GB HDD, the Mini 1000 and MIE Linux are standard fare for netbooks. Priced at $379-699...
|
| | 10/29/2008 5:46 PM (32d 23h 10m ago) |
| Microsoft signals some improvements in Windows Vista SP2, |
| | It hasn't been too awfully long since Windows Vista SP1 hit the intertubes for real, but the Vista team is already talking up SP2. Granted, we all know Redmond is focused on moving beyond all of this Vista hoopla and forging ahead with Windows 7, but there's apparently still some work to do on the outfit's current OS. Unfortunately, the latest update isn't exactly enthralling, as we're given no set time frame for launch and we're not shown any forthcoming changes that really get our juices flowing. For instance, Vista SP2 will add Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches, the Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack, ability to natively record data on Blu-ray media and Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify WiFi configuration. Wait, did you just yawn? You did. We saw it. |
| | 10/26/2008 4:58 PM (35d 23h 58m ago) |
| HP EliteBook 6930p Notebook - 24 Hours Endurance on a Single Charge, Says HP |
| |
HP have proudly announced that they have established ‘an unprecedented milestone in mobile computing’ courtesy of their HP EliteBook 6930p energy Star qualified notebook having achieved an impressive 24 hours of continuous operation on a mere single charge of its (optional) ultra-capacity battery meaning that, according to HP, ‘customers no ... |
| | 9/09/2008 3:23 PM (83d 1h 32m ago) |
| Microsoft/Seinfeld Ad: Shoe Circus |
| | Microsoft has started running their new ads using comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The first in presumably a series of ads show Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld in Shoe Carnival. Seinfeld was reportedly paid $10 million for his work in this series of ads. The goal of the ads are to revamp Microsoft's image. |
| | 9/06/2008 4:43 PM (86d 13m ago) |