"The only way to be truly satisfied, is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do." Steve Jobs
Once "inking" gets into your veins you will never be able to live without it. Frank J. Garcia

My Surface PRO 3 'Must Have' Accessories List

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Google Nexus One price rumor

Another one about Google Nexus One. According to this page the price unlocked would be $530. T-Mobile will sell it for $180. Chris, you are absolutely right. Without keyboard... I'll pass on this one.

Google hasn't said much about the phone, but enough information has leaked out to produce a profile of the HTC-built phone. It will operate on GSM networks, meaning the Nexus One could also work on AT&T's network, but not on Verizon Wireless or Sprint Nextel networks.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Google Nexus One Phone could be announced Jan. 5

My fellow MVP Chris already posted about this one and I agree with him, without a keyboard it's not that appealing. But... there are some rumors out there about Google “subsidizing the device cost through mobile advertising”. If you are getting the phone with a very low price and you don't pay for the adds… You may forget for the lack of keyboard. Do not you think?

Google has scheduled a press event for Tuesday, January 5 at its Mountain View, California, headquarters. Though the company hasn’t mentioned Nexus One, the invitation mentions Android, Google’s mobile operating system for phones, and the company is widely expected to show the device that has had Smartphone industry watchers buzzing for weeks.

nexusone

Via: Wired.com

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Kindle's DRM broken

This is a news that I was expecting to read at any moment since the release of the Kindle  application for PC. The good news is that Amazon already released a patch that took care of this attack. Now, my question is, does it worth the effort? DRMs are just a lost cause. They failed in the music industry and they will fail with book too.

An Israeli hacker going by the handle "Labba" claims he has found a method which breaks the copyright protection on the Kindle, allowing the user to transfer eBooks purchased on the device as a PDF to another device. Kindles use a proprietary format ".azw" which prevents transfer to another device.

Hacker: I Broke Kindle's DRM - PC World

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Fujitsu UH900 -Benchmarks

Numbers do not lie. That's why an article like this one published at UMPC Fever is always very welcome. My opinion after checking the numbers can be seen in the next picture.

Capture

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Fujitsu LifeBook UH900

The Fujitsu LifeBook UH900 is an UMPC that reminds me my old Jornada 720 Handheld PC.

Capture

The UH900 will hit the market in January and can be seen in this site compared with the U820, another small UMPC from Fujitsu.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

HyperBoot "Instant On" Boot Time Technology

HyperBoot is a Tecnology designed by Diskeeper  currently being released only to OEMs. According to Colleen Toumayan, VP Public Relations of Diskeeper:

We’re obviously known as the preeminent 3rd party defragmenter for Windows. But we also have a booming OEM area that licenses performance technologies. One such technology is HyperBoot ™ which markedly speeds up boot times. Some tests were recently done on two laptops side by side (video’d) and saw a 118% performance increase and 54% DECREASE in boot time (also means a faster boot down). 

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Ripple Look Family mini PC

My Ripple, a Korean company, has announced the release of a new Media Center PC according to this news.  I like the fact that will be using an Intel Dual Core processor. I don't like the graphic chipset from Intel.

20091214103403690

Dedicated to enjoy multimedia contents such as high-resolution videos and 3D games, the Ripple Look Family is equipped with Intel's latest Dual Core processor, high-capacity HDD and Intel GMA X4500 graphic chipset. It also supports Direct-X 10 API, HD video codec including MPEG2/4/VC_5/H.264, and various input ports.

Friday, December 11, 2009

ConsumerReports’ gifts list

Consumer Reports is my favorite magazine. And now it’s more than my favorite after watching their video about what should be the electronic devices that they recommend to be included in our Holiday Gifts Lists. You will know why.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Onkyo tablet PC with integrated GPS module

The Onkyo Tablet PC reminds me my Fujitsu P1610, a powerful looking body with a weak heart.  Come on OEMs is time to move over and put some pressure on Intel. An Atom at 1.33 is good but not enough. At 1.66 GHz you still feel the load when playing multimedia files even when you have an ION chip.

NX707A4_1

The tablet is powered by Atom Z520 processor (1.33 GHz) and has an 80GB HDD, 1GB RAM, Intel US15W chipset, two USB ports, an ExpressCard/34 slot, SD/SDHC/MMC/Memory Stick Pro slots, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, 802.11n Wi-Fi and two web cams (3MP and 0.3MP) on board. The display is a (7 inches) touch screen with 1,024×600 resolution.

Via CrunchGear

Friday, December 04, 2009

TabletPc2.com 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Linda Epstein has published her Holiday Gift Guide for this Christmas. You may find many other guides but I'm sure that none of them will have the artistic touch that Linda gives to her.  Check this picture:

untitled

This year's list includes more than 100 products from over 35 vendors.  Tablet PCs, Netbook's, Laptops, All-In-One PCs,  Entertainment, Accessories, iPhone, Digital Cameras, Storage Solutions and more............ 

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Lenco will be soon in UK

For our UK readers is this news:

Venlo/Hampshire, November, 2009 – Lenco, the well known Swiss originated consumer electronics brand from Venlo, The Netherlands, is from now available in the UK market. This is the result of an exclusive distribution agreement, which has been signed between Lenco and IT Industries Europe in Hampshire, United Kingdom.

Ipodtower living room

“The introduction of Lenco in the UK market fits in our agenda to further internationalise our brand. On a global scale, we aim to bring Lenco into markets in more countries. We are, thanks to the co-operation with IT Industries, confident in a successful market introduction in the United Kingdom”, comments Lenco CEO Nico Brabers.

IT Industries Europe is a well known distributor in the United Kingdom and will introduce Lenco products to the whole country. “The distribution agreement with Lenco means for us a qualitative enhancement of our portfolio. For over sixty years, Lenco has been synonymous with Swiss precision in the field of Hi-Fi and electronics and is recognised as a valuable brand in the market. Therefore, we are happy with the challenge to be able to introduce the brand in the UK. There is a huge demand for state-of-the-art and innovative products in the UK and with Lenco, we are able to deliver premium quality for a reasonable price”, says Chris Mole, Product Manager at IT Industries.

The first products will be available in the UK in due course, with the innovative Lenco iPod Tower hitting UK shelves early Q1 2010.

* * *

About Lenco

For over sixty years, Lenco (www.lenco.eu) has been synonymous with Swiss precision in the field of Hi-Fi and electronics. Lenco manufacturers and distributes a complete range of consumer electronics products, such as advanced turntables, micro audio systems, mini audio systems, portable DVD players and TFT television screens. All products of the quality brand unite state-of-the-art technology and design, conveying value and style. Lenco delivers premium quality in every aspect, for a reasonable price. The head office of Lenco is in Venlo, The Netherlands.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Camangi WebStation Android

The Camangi WebStation is what now people are calling Tablet (Without PC, do not confuse with Tablet PC), in this case it’s a device with a 7 inches screen, using a processor Marvell 624MHz PXA303 and Android. Here is a video of it in action:

Friday, November 27, 2009

Kohjinsha DZ dual screen netbook

The less I can say about the Kohjinsha DZ is that it's completely different to any thing that I have seen in the last 3 years. It will hit the market next month but only in Japan. And that's really bad. I really do not understand what's what this company is waiting to start selling every where in the world.

Kohjinsha-300x197

 

It comes with two 10.1 inch LCD screens that slide together to make transporting the thing easier, with each screen having s a resolution of 1024 x 600. The screens rotate too, all the way round so they can face backwards.

The Netbook runs on a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor with S780MN chipset and ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics.

Kohjinsha DZ dual screen netbook on sale in Japan next month

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Microsoft talking about IE9

Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows Live Division discussed the future of IE9 in the PDC 2009 keynote.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Kindle with more battery life and PDF Support

That's basically what second generation Kindle owners will get with the latest firmware, more battery life and PDF support without any conversion needed. And what about the first generation Kindle? Abandoned?

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced two new enhancements to the latest generation Kindle—85 percent more battery life and a native PDF reader.

Amazon.com -- News Release

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Google Maps for Android updated

Google maps for Android updated. We did not have to wait for Android 2.0 to get GPS navigation in Google Maps but G1 owners, don't get too excited. To use this new feature you have to install a Language package of around 4 MB. Space that in a G1 is hard to find free. I dont know

Monday, November 23, 2009

Hacks and HACKS

There are hacks and HACKS with upper case. This one is one of those with upper case. The news was posted at GottabeMobile but the pictures can be seen in this other site. A Sony UX where the owner has change everything that could be changed and replaced and even more.

Hardware

  • SSD: 48GB SSD –> 128GB RunCore Pro IV SSD
  • Processor: 1.2GHz Core 2 Solo U2200 –> 1.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7700 overclocked to 1.438GHz
  • WLAN: HSDPA 3G module for voice and data
  • Wifi: Intel 3945ABG –> Intel 4965AGN

bootscreen-300x255

Friday, November 20, 2009

Google Chrome OS, all time connected

Recently I found a video, and honestly I do not remember where in the web,  where Google explains What’s Google Chrome OS. To summarize, an all time connected to the cloud OS. A version of Android and I even hesitate to say this because it seems to me that Android does much more thanks to all the applications currently available for this OS. In the way the video explains it, sounds like we all expend 100% of our time in Internet. And probably that’s the case when you are at home, but if I take my day and analyze it, I expend 10 hours at work, around 2 hours at home no connected, around 4 hours at home connected and 8 hours sleeping. That means that I have 10 hours using a PC where I spend just a few minutes in Internet and only 4 hours per day where potentially I could be using Google Chrome for everything. I don’t know if you are getting me point. Google Chrome is not for everybody. I see it in my case like a really good option for a dual boot configuration. But no as my only one OS, unless it’s in a device which only use will be Internet.

Now the question is, will Google Chrome OS be prepared to cover or be fully compatible with all the hardware currently in the market? Because that has been the  biggest problem that Windows always has faced and the cause of most of the problems and instability of this OS, drivers. are we going to have a full plug and play OS or another version of MacOS?

And here is the video:

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

UMID mbook Pink ready for women's Christmas lists

Dynamism is a company that clearly understands that women also love computers. And a proof of it is that they have just released the UMID mbook in pink. An UMPC with the perfect size for the purse of our other half.

Capture

Because it runs Windows XP on an Intel® Atom™ processor, you can enjoy unbridled web browsing, movies, music, & games -- or ultramobile video Skype calling with someone special.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Kohjinsha PA review

Pocketables has posted a very interesting review about the Kohjinsha PA. After ready it I arrived to this conclusion: Beauty is a very complicate criteria. I find the Series PA exterior design attractive.

6a00d83451c9ec69e20120a6944a8e970b-800wi

From a usability standpoint, the Kohjinsha PA series packs a lot of function into a portable package weighing just 14.1 ounces. The convertible form factor is versatile and encourages a wide range of usage scenarios, while Windows XP makes it a fairly robust system to carry around in a pocket. Unfortunately, because of its high price, unique aesthetics, and limited RAM, I don't think the PA will be able to find success in the already niche market of UMPCs and MIDs.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Dell Inspiron Zino HD

Dell has just released what's in my opinion on of the best Media Center machines in the market: Inspiron Zino HD. Why I'm saying this?

Capture

  • Very small I easy to hide in your living room.
  • Starting price of $229
  • Full customizable with options for a Dual Core AMD processor and an ATI Radeon HD 4330 512 MB Specifications - Video Card video chip.
  • HDMI and VGA output.
  • 1080p full capable.
  • Integrated DVD player and Burner and an optional Blue-ray player.

Here is the First review I have found about this just released machine.

…this is quite a capable little device that was whisper quiet with low power requirements. It was able to handle just about everything I could throw at it without issue. Even at the base configuration, to have such an elegantly designed, HD capable machine available at for $229 from Dell is astounding. It would be hard to build a similar machine yourself at that price.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

20 tips and tweaks for W7

Computer World has updated a very good article with 20 tips and tweaks for Windows 7, if you have a browser “Popup proven” this is an article that I would recommend to read.

An earlier version of this story was written when Windows 7 was still in beta. Now that the final version has been released, we've overhauled the story, updating some tips, eliminating others that are no longer relevant, and adding seven new tips.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Kindle in an UMPC

Kindle for PC has been released by Amazon. I should had post about it but I did not and the reason is because I own a Kindle and I would never go back to read a book in a PC, PPC or any other LCD or similar display. Beside the fact that the visual experience is not the same, an UMPC is too heavy for the task and a PPC, iPhone, etc, are too small. Christmas  is coming guys, save some money and get the real thing. Anyway… Here is a video showing Kindle running in an UMPC.

Monday, November 09, 2009

enTourage eDGe, new eReader with dual screen

The enTourage eDGe is one of those cases where I sit for moment to think, is this what the market wants? I mean, it’s nice but I would prefer to wait for a color e-ink screen instead of sacrifice my battery life in a LCD touch screen.

Capture

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Rolltop

Since long time ago I have not seen a notebook design that I could had called innovative. All looks the same but this one, the Rolltop from Orkin Design.

img4_41122

It’s hard to believe that what you are seen in the above picture is a notebook. If you don’t believe it check the video in their page.

img3_41122

img2_41122

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Eston MID-05 MID and N97 coming soon

It seems that the MID concept finally is picking some steam because lately there are a bunch of new devices being released. This time we have two new MID coming from a company called Eston, the MID 05 and the N97 both using Android thou the first one could be loaded with Windows CE too.

eston_mid-05_n97_tablet

The company has sliced off the hardware keyboard from their MID-02 and produced the touchscreen-only MID-05, a 5-inch handheld running either Android or Windows CE.  If your fingers are too chubby for that, Eston also have the N97 MID, with a larger 7-inch touchscreen and integrated 3G.

Via - SlashGear

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Video Encoders (H264/VC1)

Windows Media Center 7 is my latest toy. I have been playing with it the last few weeks and one of the tasks that has consumed most of my time is the one that has given me most of my frustrations, encoding video. And what is the problem? Probably that the question you may have after reading my words. Well, I have been trying all this time to encode video using the mkv format and the h264 encoder. I have tested many tools and I have obtained the best results using Avidemux. But… for some reason 4 of every five DVDs that I’m trying to convert with this tool end with a crash. This issue has made me start using Nero Recode 2, a wonderful tool that never crash. The few things that I don’t like on it is that it save in mp4 format and even when it includes the subtitles in the file, there is not any way in 7MC to use them. English is not my first language so subtitles help me a lot when I do not understand a word. Using Avidemux I’m embedding the subtitle in the movie and on that way I can see them in 7MC. Anyway… I can’t say that I have not enjoyed all this quest to find the perfect encoder and VideoHelp.com has been one of the best source of information in this adventure. I have almost tested all the freeware mentioned in that page and most of them have crashed in W7 or the results have not been the best. What encoder are you using to play HQ movies in your Media Center? May be you want to share your experience with me.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Flexible e-book reader

The Tire maker Bridgestone is thinking seriously about entering the market of the eBook Readers considering the prototypes shown in this article.   bridgestone_e_paper_flexible

Bridgestone says the prototype has a 10.7-inch-screen, is just 5.8mm thick (Kindle 2: 9.1mm) and can display color pages. The device can be bent to some extent since the circuit board and the electronic paper are flexible.

Color and flexible eReaders, awesome.

Tire maker Bridgestone shows world’s first flexible e-book reader

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

FUJITSU: Windows 7 Compatible Drivers

Fujitsu has released  Windows 7 Compatible Drivers for some of devices: P1630, U820, etc… Still has not released yet anything for the P1620 and P1610 series. I hope that this does not mean that this machines are not supported by this company any more.

Capture

FUJITSU: Fujitsu America - Support

Monday, October 26, 2009

Netflix in Media Center 7

Windows 7 has been released and Microsoft had ready for this release two modules of Media Center: Internet TV and Neflix. I really impressed with Netflix, the player made in silverlight works perfectly adjusting the streaming to whatever download speed you have from your Internet provider, and it does it during the playback. So you notice when you start a movie how the quality goes up after a few seconds of playing (I’m using a 12 mbps service). The HD still no there but the quality that I’m getting in movies and some series available in HD is fantastic. The Netflix software for 7MC was very well designed. Basically, you don’t need to visit Netflix website to manage anymore your queue. You can search for movies and the navigation options during the playback are compatible with MC Remotes.

Friday, October 23, 2009

XP to W7 and Apple TV commercials

Lets start with one of the TV commercials released by Apple yesterday talking about the release of Windows 7.

Pathetic. That’s the word that came to my mind after I saw the 3 commercials. The first one was talking about Microsoft promising a new OS without bugs and I have to say that that was the stupidest of all 3 because Snow Leopard has been the buggiest of all the releases of Mac OS X. How can Apple talk about bugs when they have not removed yet all the “fleas” from their own spotted animal.

But anyway, lets go back to this video. The migration path from Windows XP to Windows 7. How many times we have said and all my fellow IT friends have said that a clean install is better than an upgrade? Millions. Now this is where the whole thing fails. Everybody does not know about Windows Easy Transfer. This program makes a backup of all your documents, emails, programs configurations, etc, from your old XP and restore it back in your Windows 7 installation. Simple like that. After that all you have to do is reinstall your programs. Windows Easy Transfer is a freeware that comes pre installed in Vista and Windows 7 and can be downloaded for XP at Microsoft.

Now, I won’t lie to you, this is where the thing becomes a really mess if you are not a very organized person and you do not keep track of your serial numbers. But come on! You can’t blame on Microsoft for your own problems. You have paid for most of those programs, that’s like an investment so you should keep or your serial organized in a document kept in a CD or somewhere safe.

I understand that many people buy pre configured computers because they are afraid of installing anything. For those people the message is simple. Do not be afraid. All those big programs have a Setup Wizard that guides you during the whole installation process. Every thing is easier than what you think. A lot easier than switching to Apple, a new completely world for you. And a closed world I should say. A word where everything comes from Apple and should be approved by Apple, in a single word, a Dictatorship . What are you going to do with your freedom of choosing from millions of programs every time that you want to buy a program? Or… what you are going to do when you want to find a freeware for something that you want to do and you find that there are not that many options in the Apple World. And let’s not talk about games!

I’ll tell you how you are going to end. You will end like the 85% of the Mac users out there that still have a PC or have installed Windows in their Macs in a sort of virtual machine.

This commercial like all the other commercials of this series is just a lie. And if you think that I’m too rude when I said that let me rectify. The commercial is not reflecting the reality. The switch from XP to Apple is not a lot easier than switching to Apple. Oh, by the way, where is the part in the commercial that says that Apple does not allow you to install Mac OS X in your PC and that means that all your hardware investment is useless and you will have to buy Macs that is a lot more expensive than your current PCs.

The next time that you see on of these commercials from Apple in your TV remember me. They are the last thing that you can use as a reference or research if you are seriously thinking about to switch from Windows to Mac. I have not seen one in the last few years reflecting the reality in any grade.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Windows 7 is here!

Those who beta tested W7 should have already received an email like this:

We’ve reached the final milestone in our Windows 7 release schedule—general availability! Thank you all for the feedback you have provided during the Beta and Release Candidate processes. You have helped us make this the strongest Windows client operating system to date.
For continued support for your deployment and migration processes—including resources to help you with application compatibility, security, networking, manageability, and much more—bookmark these resources:

- Guidance, tools, and demonstrations - Springboard Series for Windows 7 on TechNet

- Community advice, tips, and best practices – TechNet Windows 7 Forums

- Virtual labs, webcasts, and podcasts – Windows 7 IT Pro Events and Webcasts Portal

Also, to stay up to date on new resources, the latest guidance, and upcoming events, sign up to be a Springboard Series Insider!

Thank you for all your support!
The Springboard Series Team

Today many stores are making available many good deals including W7 for free in many of their new boxes. Do not miss this opportunity.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Major Update to 7MC: Netflix, Internet TV…

According to a note just posted at SuperSiteBlog:

the version of Windows Media Center in Windows 7 has gotten a significant update today, with the addition of Netflix and a new version of the Internet TV functionality, the latter of which has all kinds of new content, including great TV shows, Zune video podcasts, and more. It's an excellent update, from what I can tell so far, and I will have a short, more formal write-up about this later in the week. Check it out if you're using Windows 7!

Wow! That’s really good news! I have a Roku box at home for Netflix but lately I have been playing most of the time with 7MC (Windows 7 Media Center) using a Ruvo mini PC and I have been waiting for this update. I really want to see how Netflix works within 7MC. A friend of mine just tried Windows Update and did not find anything so let’s hope that tonight this new update is finally released to everybody.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Playing DVDs with 7MC

One of the features a like from 7MC (Media Center 7) is the interface for playing DVDs. I like the fact that when you have the DVD in the drive MC pulls the information about the DVD and it’s available during the playback without having to stop the movie. Here is a short video that I prepared using a Ruvo mini Cap 7 and an external DVD drive connected to it.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Logitech Notebook Kit MK605

Here is an example of how some  makers call their accessories using the names of the best sellers trying to increase their own sales. Logitech Notebook Kit MK605. Check the picture of it.

4009251889_41937d9b5c

It’s a Mouse/Keyboard/Stand kit. Now, is not a Netbook a device with a keyboard and mouse integrated? Is not a Netbook a device that when it’s opened the display stays standing up like the stand in the picture? So… This kit is not for netbooks guys! This is a perfect kit for Tablet PC owners, for UMPC owners and for MID Owners. All of them devices that most of the time come without a keyboard! So name it properly!

Logitech has an entire family of laptop accessories designed to enhance your experience, comfort, and productivity no matter what you’re doing or where you’re doing it and today, we’re adding the Logitech Notebook Kit MK605. Combining a pivoting riser with a wireless mouse and keyboard, the Notebook Kit MK605 is our first all-in-one solution to feature our recently announced Unifying technology, providing a convenient and flexible way to make your laptop experience more enjoyable.

Logitech Introduces Notebook Kit MK605 | BLogitech

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

iPhone clone with a full keyboard

iphonekeyboard4

Like I said in my previous post, sometime the clones have more features than the original devices. 

Known as the DaPeng T2000 Wi-Fi TV Cellphone, the actual phone itself retails for around 150USD through Western retail channels, less on the streets of Shenxhen, and is in fact very similar to a host of iPhone clones floating around the markets of China with specs that measure up fairly well against any of them. Dual SIM, GPRS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth etc on a device that is slightly thicker and shorter than the Apple original, featuring a slightly smaller touch screen. The OS is the standard Apple OS clone that you've seen on most of them. What makes it stand out is of course the keyboard/wallet.

iPhone clone sports a full keyboard

The Chinese Black Market Exposed

One of the webpage I follow in my RSS Reader is Shanzai.com, one of the reason is very simple, you can’t fight the reality, almost 90% of all electronics that we own are made or the components are made in China. In another hand, China is the mother of all the clones available in the world and lately the quality of these clones is at the same level and sometime even higher than the original devices. Shanzai.com is the best source of information about all these topics. And it’s this page totally dedicated to show the world all the new clones being released to the market the one also showing that Chinese Market has a dark side and that side is revealed in this video.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Playing DVIX in 7MC

No, this is not a “how to” note or anything like that. Windows Media Center for me is something completely new. I have been using UMPCs and Tablet PCs for the last 3 years and on them this program does not work to well so I never tried. And probably that’s the best thing that happened to me because my first encounter with MC has been with 7MC or Windows 7 Media Center. A version of MC totally renovated by Microsoft. Sponsored by Ruvo, I will be shooting short videos of 7MC showing how easy is to use this program and different options that you can enjoy on it.   The first video of this series shows how easy is to navigate using a Microsoft MC Remote Control and play a DIVX file stored in the HDD.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Mac OS X is not much better than W7

I’m not the one saying it, he is Walt Mossberg, the man behind the Personal Technology Column of The Wall Street Journal.  And here is exactly what he said:

In recent years, I, like many other reviewers, have argued that Apple’s Mac OS X operating system is much better than Windows. That’s no longer true. I still give the Mac OS a slight edge because it has a much easier and cheaper upgrade path; more built-in software programs; and far less vulnerability to viruses and other malicious software, which are overwhelmingly built to run on Windows.

Now, however, it’s much more of a toss-up between the two rivals. Windows 7 beats the Mac OS in some areas, such as better previews and navigation right from the taskbar, easier organization of open windows on the desktop and touch-screen capabilities. So Apple will have to scramble now that the gift of a flawed Vista has been replaced with a reliable, elegant version of Windows.

Since the first beta I have been saying that this version 7 is the best thing Microsoft has released in a long time so it does not surprise me to read such comment coming from Walt Mossberg. Now prepare yourself for the Mac fanboys reactions we will have a lot of fun in the next few days.

Dynamism is in Europe!

I just received an email from Douglas Krone, CEO, letting me know that they just have opened 3 stores in Europe.

France

Germany

Italy

They will start selling the Viliv S5 in these 3 languages and they are offering to all users buying one of these devices today THREE free accessories with the purchase:
+ car kit
+ leather case
+ spare standard battery.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Via is fighting back

According to this post from Shanzhai page,  there are plans to release a nettop using the Via C7 processor with the new chipset VX855 which should have a performance equivalent to what we have seen in the nVidia ION, recently tested by me in a netbook kindly provided to me by Ruvo.

via-nettop2

Our contacts on the backstreets of Shenzhen, China have alerted us to the impending release of a shanzai-made mini-desktop PC that eschews Nvidia's ION in favor of VIA's CPU platform.

What has been my experiences with Via. Their processor is not bad compared with the Atom. Their graphic chipset are not bad too… but… there are only few video players in the market optimized to recognize their chipset and use them.

Keep your Android optimized

AndroidGuys has put together a list of tips to keep your Android phone optimized. 

This is simply a general list of things that I notice on new users’ phones that really brings them to a stand-still. (Especially when you are guilty of all of them at once!)  I understand that everyone’s experience of their Android phone and what they use it for is different; however, the more you give your droid to think about at once, the less efficiently it thinks.  If you remember this very general rule, you are most likely going to be able to trouble shoot or tweak things on your own to be back in tip-top shape in no time.

He is absolutely right. I have seen this a few times already, phones overloaded with applications that I call vampires because they suck all the resources available in the phone.

FTC's New Rules for Bloggers

This is something that most of us do, but now it is an official rule and if you don’t do it you could receive a fine of up to $11,000 according to PCWorld, page that have analyzed the regulations and summarized them in this article

As of December 1, the Federal Trade Commission is going to require bloggers, and prominent tweeters and Facebook types to disclose any paid endorsements to their followers, online friends and readers.

Every time that I receive anything from any company I say it clearly in my reviews. And that’s something learned from my other fellows bloggers. We do it because we think that is unethical to hide this fact. Others just do it because they feel more important saying that X company sent him/her X product to review. Come on! A little bit of fame does not hurt anybody. Tongue out

Another fact that I do not hide and my fellows MVPs do not hide too is that we are MVPs. That means that we are supposed to show the world all the new and good things that Microsoft releases. It does not mean that we should not criticize Microsoft but it says clearly that we believe in Microsoft and we like Microsoft products.

Anyway, it’s good to know these new regulations to avoid the fine. And be clear… This applies too to anything that any of you write in any forum. If you are bashing a product from the competition you should mention clearly what company you are working for.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

85% of mac users own a PC

The statistics come from the research firm NPD Group and they were published recently at The Inquirer page. 

This means that 85 per cent of Mac users have a pragmatic approach to their machines and use the best tool for the job at hand, whatever they want when they want it.

The study also revealed what I always suspected, the average household income of those with Macs was around $100,000 and having a Mac was a status symbol. That probably explain why 85% of them also have a PC, Symbols sometime are not enough to live in current modern world controlled by PCs.

PhotoSketch simply unbelievable

GottaBeMobile found about this project of a Chinese University that I consider something out this world. If this software is released it will become the salvation of people like me that does not know a thing about Photoshop.

PhotoSketch: Internet Image Montage from tao chen on Vimeo.

Monday, October 05, 2009

Does the nVidia ION really help?

We have seen lately some hardware makers switch from the Intel video chips or the SIS graphic chips to the nVidia ION and some of you have asked if that helps. I’m currently testing the Ruvo Mini Cap 7 but using the nVidia ION Graphic Chip instead of the SIS 672 and the next two pictures show how the W7 graphic scores changed depending on what chip the device was using.

Using the nVidia ION

3981987964_b5bc4c4b8c

And the next one is using the SIS 672

3608519967_661a9b3135_b

A noticeable difference.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Benq S6 naked

We all like to see what's inside of our devices, lets face it. But here is the thing, dissamsabling them is easy, what's hard is putting them back to how they were before.

03102009_134746_CIMG2520

The above picture of the Benq S6 MID was shot by a young lady that loves to strip down her devices. And let me tell you, this picture is the most decent one. Check the rest here.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Microsoft AV Released

I have been so busy that I had posted nothing about the release of Microsoft Security Essentials. I beta tested the product, no bad. The best thing is that it’s free and you don’t have to provide an email to download it or register anything and it does not expire after a year. These are good points, believe it or know. Every time you provide your email you are getting more spam, more chances of getting spywares, etc, etc. Thumbs-up

HID Drivers for the Viliv X70

Finally a beta version of a HID Driver for PS/2 that works in the Viliv x70 device has been released to an user that kindly has given it to me to host it.

The driver can be downloaded here.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

What happens when you use the wrong tool

Recently the University of Princeton ran an experiment to see how good the Kindle was for the educational system. And read carefully my words, “how good the Kindle was”. And I said this because after reading this comment from one of the students participating in the experiment you will end into the same conclusion where I ended.

“Much of my learning comes from a physical interaction with the text: bookmarks, highlights, page-tearing, sticky notes and other marks representing the importance of certain passages — not to mention margin notes, where most of my paper ideas come from and interaction with the material occurs,” he explained. “All these things have been lost, and if not lost they’re too slow to keep up with my thinking, and the ‘features’ have been rendered useless.”

Well, just by reading this, I can say that the Kindle is not the right tool for this guy. He needs something more flexible, something that will allow him to take notes right on the eBook, highlight, organize his notes and have a search capability within his notes. Everything that can be found in a mini Tablet PC using Windows 7, OneNote and PDF Annotator. Even within the eBook Readers with e-ink technology we have other readers like the iRex iLiad that comes closer to cover the needs of this student (and the majority of all students) than the Kindle. The failure was not in the eBooks, the failure was from the those who planned the experiment by not asking what are the students needs and then pick the right tools to cover those needs. The failure is in the jump to a new technology just because is appealing and new and no because it’s really what you need.

eBook Readers still a long way to go and what is available at this moment is more than enough for having a good time reading but it fails to satisfy the students’ needs because they are under pressure and they need quick results. They have just different needs that are far from reading for pleasure. And that’s what the Kindle is, a tool for having a good time reading.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Installing W7 in a Ruvo MiniCap 7 using a nVidia ION

IMG_0431

As you may recall I already had the chance of checking the version of this machine using a SIS graphic chip which was Ok but never up to the level of the one I'm currently checking. The facts that it uses a HDMI port to connect to your TV,an ION chip from nVidia that can handle 1080P without any problem and a size that allows you to perfectly hide it in anywhere makes this the perfect Media Center.

The installation of W7 in the Ruvo MiniCap 7 took a little more them 45 minutes. A total of 53 minutes counting 2 optional downloads for the nVidia chip. Tip: After running Windows Update, you will find an unknown device in the Device Manager, click on driver update and point the search to the CD that came with the device.

My first impressions? The ION chip is the way to go!

You can see playing different video files in this video.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Viliv S10 Convertible Netbook

They did well calling the Viliv S10 a convertible notebooks because what's not for sure is a TabletPC. Why? Because this device does not have a HID compliant driver to handle its touch screen and as result you won't ever experience all the touch screen features included in Windows 7.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Courier, Microsoft’s New Tablet

Courier is a new Microsoft’s Research Project that in my opinion will change the classrooms and meetings in a near future.

500x_courier8

To better understand the idea behind this project I would recommend to check this video posted at Gizmodo. I’m sure that once you see the video you will start saving to buy one of these whenever they are released to market.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

3 new products from TabletKiosk

IDF: San Francisco, CA, September 22, 2009 — TabletKiosk® , a leading provider of  mobile business computing solutions, today introduced three new systems powered by Intel®  Atom™ Processors: the 7-inch eo™ a7330D Ultra-Mobile PC, the 7-inch eo TufTab® a7230XD Rugged Ultra-Mobile PC and the 12.1-inch Sahara NetSlate™
a230T touch screen Tablet PC.


This new generation of slate-style tablets is built for the Enterprise marketplace, and includes a number of new and innovative features designed specifically to deliver improved productivity and value to professionals working in the office or out in the field.   

eo™ a7330D Ultra-Mobile PC

This newest member of TabletKiosk's family of eo Ultra-Mobile PCs is the first 7-inch tablet to feature an auto-switching dual mode active digitizer / resistive touch screen panel developed by Wacom®, the pioneering leader in pen technology. Business professionals in hospitality, home automation and industrial control systems are also excited about other features of the eo a7330D including its dual, hot swappable battery packs; integrated wireless connectivity; a "fit-in-your-hand" design; and a revolutionary new modular expansion system.  By attaching one of the interchangeable expansion modules, the functionality of the device can be customized for specific business applications including scanning bar codes, swiping credit cards and even connecting to enhanced 3G/3.5G wireless wide area networks. Based on high-speed USB Bus technology, the modules are hot swappable and can be removed or switched out without powering down the system.

“We designed the new eo a7330D in response to the industry-specific challenges which we felt were not being met by the current crop of 7-inch devices,” said Martin Smekal, president of TabletKiosk. “Instead of pushing a 'one-size-fits-all' device that must be paired with external attachments, cords and dongles, the new eo a7330D with its modular expansion system can be easily and cleanly customized to perform specific business functions, thus providing seamless integration with industry standard applications.”

eo a7330D is powered by the Intel® Atom™ Z530P processor and comes standard with 1.0 GB RAM, 1.8" 80 GB HDD (SSD drives optional), sunlight viewable screen, dual hot swappable batteries, built-in wireless capabilities including GPS, 802.11a/b/g/n Dual Channel WiFi and Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR, and the auto-switching dual mode digitizer/touch screen for highly accurate handwriting recognition and finger touch control.

eo TufTab® a7230XD Rugged Ultra-Mobile PC

The new eo TufTab a7230XD is a rugged Ultra-Mobile PC that surpasses MIL-SPEC-810F specifications and is rated IP54 to provide a lightweight and durable solution for on-the-go professionals working in harsher than normal
environments. Featuring the same auto-switching active digitizer / passive touch screen as the eo a7330D, this revolutionary device is ably suited for outdoor fieldwork, data collection, warehousing, mobile point of sale and other work functions which endure extreme handling.

Also powered by the Intel® Atom™ Z530P processor, the eo TufTab a7230XD comes standard with 1.0GB RAM, 80GB HDD (SSD optional), 802.11a/b/g/n Dual Channel WiFi, 2.0 Mpixel Still/Video camera with auto focus, dual hot swappable batteries, integrated RFID reader, built-in 1D/2D barcode scanner, 1Gb Ethernet, RS-232 Serial port, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and TPM v1.2. Built-in 3G/3.5G WWAN module is optional.

Sahara NetSlate™ a230T

The latest addition to the Sahara Slate PC® line of 12.1-inch slate-style Tablet PCs is the Sahara NetSlate a230T. This new, entry-level touch screen tablet is more affordable option for on-the-go professionals and companies looking for a true slate-style tablet solution, but not necessarily with the enhanced feature-set or processing power of the existing Sahara Slate PC® i400 series of Tablet PCs.

The Sahara NetSlate a230T shares the same body design and form factor of its i400 series siblings, but is powered by the Intel® Atom™ N270 processor and comes standard with 1.0GB RAM (upgradeable to 2.0GB) a 120GB HDD (SSD optional), 802.11a/b/g/n Dual Channel WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and an optional built-in 3G/3.5G WWAN module.

Because continuity is an important value when integrating a new client solution into an existing business installation, the Sahara NetSlate is fully compatible with all accessories created for the Sahara Slate PC® i400 series, including the docking cradle, VESA mounting plates, batteries and carrying cases.

“The Intel Atom processor is a great low power design perfectly suited for bringing the Internet to small devices, from MIDs and netbooks to Tablets and smartphones,” said Pankaj Kedia, director of global ecosystem programs in Intel’s Ultra Mobility group. “The Atom processor is helping to accelerate hundreds of innovative designs, like the new eo Ultra-Mobile PCs and Sahara NetSlate products that TabletKiosk is announcing today.” Because today’s business applications vary greatly in their requirements, all three devices come preinstalled with a choice of Microsoft® Windows Vista® Business, Windows® XP Embedded or openSUSE™ Linux 11.

All three systems qualify for a FREE downgrade to Windows XP Professional (or Tablet PC Edition for the two eo UMPCs).

In addition, all three also qualify for a FREE upgrade to Windows 7 Professional if purchased with Windows Vista on or before January 31, 2010.

Pricing and Availability eo™ a7330D can be pre-ordered now and will start shipping the beginning of October. 

eo TufTab® a7230XD can be pre-ordered now and will begin shipping the third week of October.
Sahara NetSlate™ a230T is available now.
For pricing and additional details, please visit www.tabletkiosk.com or contact your Authorized TabletKiosk Dealer.

About TabletKiosk®

TabletKiosk is a registered trademark and wholly owned subsidiary of Sand Dune Ventures, Inc. a privately held technology incubator. The company produces slate-style Tablet PCs, Ultra-Mobile PCs and a mobile clinical assistant (MCA) marketed through an authorized reseller channel and directly through the company website. For more information, visit www.tabletkiosk.com.

Monday, September 21, 2009

eBook sells more copies than book

Yes, it’s a fact reported by the Spanish Blog Clipset. The eBook “Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown has sold more copies than the actual book in Amazon.

kindleee

This means a lot. This means that Kindle is the best move that Amazon has done in a long time. This means that we are witnessing a shift in the mentality of many readers that are choosing to go green instead of going with paper copies of their books.

Aspire One, photo review

I always carry in my backpack a digital camera hunting the opportunity for a good shot. Last week one of my coworkers brought her Aspire One and of course, I did not miss the chance to take some pictures of it and compare it to my Fujitsu P1610.

IMG_0507 by ctitanicIMG_0508 by ctitanicIMG_0510 by ctitanicIMG_0511 by ctitanicIMG_0512 by ctitanicIMG_0509 by ctitanic

IMG_0514 by ctitanicIMG_0513 by ctitanicIMG_0515 by ctitanicIMG_0516 by ctitanicIMG_0517 by ctitanicIMG_0518 by ctitanic

IMG_0519 by ctitanicIMG_0520 by ctitanicIMG_0521 by ctitanicIMG_0522 by ctitanicIMG_0524 by ctitanicIMG_0523 by ctitanic

IMG_0525 by ctitanicIMG_0526 by ctitanicIMG_0527 by ctitanicIMG_0528 by ctitanic