Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Samsung's laptop-accompanying LapFit display gets reviewed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/samsungs-laptop-accompanying-lapfit-display-gets-reviewed/

Samsung has certainly carved out a curious niche for itself with its new LapFit display, which not only competes with regular LCD monitors, but laptop stands that accomplish the same basic goal for a fraction of the price. That said, the folks at TrustedReviews seem to think the display could still win its share of fans, especially considering its apparently low power consumption, and its more than reasonable sub-£100 price tag (or roughly $150). On the downside, however, it seems that the TN display is considerably lacking in terms of image quality, with it apparently displaying noticeable banding, poor grayscale performance, and a general lack of sharpness when it comes to text. The particular D190S model reviewed also just has a single VGA port, although the D190SU adds some DisplayLink over USB, and the LD190X tops things off with some wireless capabilities.

Filed under: Displays

Samsung's laptop-accompanying LapFit display gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DDR3 shootout pits OCZ, Kingston and Corsair against one another

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/ddr3-shootout-pits-ocz-kingston-and-corsair-against-one-another/

DDR3 modules aren't exactly new or anything, but given just how low the prices of big time kits have become, we figured it prudent to pass along one of the most thorough shootouts on the subject that we've seen. HotHardware grabbed a few DIMMs from the labs of OCZ Technology, Corsair and Kingston, threw 'em all in a Core i7 rig (not simultaneously, silly!) and benchmarked the lot until they literally fell asleep at the keys. The results? We'd love to tell you which sticks came out atop the pile, but that would just be spoiling the fun for you, now wouldn't it? Give the read link a look if you're ready for the action.

Filed under: Storage

DDR3 shootout pits OCZ, Kingston and Corsair against one another originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SanDisk ships first ever multicard readers with style

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/sandisk-ships-first-ever-multicard-readers-with-style/

Okay, so maybe you've seen a multicard reader or two in your day that wasn't unsightly to the nth degree, but it's a rarity, let us tell you. Furthermore, SanDisk's latest bunch are amongst the first we've seen that we'd actually feel somewhat proud to have sitting on our desks, and considering that there's only so much added functionality you can give these things, aiming for high fashion was probably a good move. The new line of ImageMate readers are currently shipping out to retailers in North America, with the All-In-One reader listing at $29.99 and the Multi-Card reader selling for $10 less.

Gallery: SanDisk ships first ever multicard readers with style

Filed under: Peripherals, Storage

SanDisk ships first ever multicard readers with style originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buffalo intros SHD-NSUM series SSDs with USB and SATA-II interfaces

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/buffalo-intros-shd-nsum-series-ssds-with-usb-and-sata-ii-interfa/

Internal SSD drives generally aren't the most exciting devices out there, apart from the fact they're SSDs, but Buffalo's new SHD-NSUM series of drives look to bit a bit of an exception, with each packing a microUSB port for some data transfers in a pinch in addition to the standard SATA-II interface. Otherwise, the drives are expectedly pretty standard fare, with Buffalo promising that they're 30% faster than a standard hard drive, and offering them in the usual 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities. No word on a 'release round here just yet, but those in Japan should be able to pick 'em up in March for between $120 and $390.

[Via SlashGear]

Filed under: Storage

Buffalo intros SHD-NSUM series SSDs with USB and SATA-II interfaces originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gigabyte's M1022, S1024, T1028 netbooks show themselves at CeBIT

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/gigabytes-m1022-s1024-t1028-netbooks-show-themselves-at-cebit/

Gigabyte said it'd be showing off a trio of new netbooks at CeBIT this week and, lo and behold, all three have now emerged from their less than secretive whereabouts and made their public debut, and the good folks from Engadget Chinese were on hand for an up close look. While all three pack more or less the same standard netbook specs, they do manage to differentiate themselves quite a bit from each other around the edges, with the M1022 "Booktop" in particular coming paired with a rather unique dock that holds the system vertically and lets you hook up a monitor and your choice of peripherals. The T1028 also takes things one step further by opting for a tablet form, as you can see above, while the ThinNote S1024 keeps things a bit more simple with a thin, more business-like design. Be sure to hit up the link below for plenty more pics, and the complete specs for each.

Filed under: Laptops

Gigabyte's M1022, S1024, T1028 netbooks show themselves at CeBIT originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia working on laptops, ARM-powered MID?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/nokia-working-on-laptops-arm-powered-mid/

If you were looking for proof that the line between smartphones and laptops is rapidly starting to blur, look no further -- Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasuvo told Reuters today that the Finnish company is "looking very actively" at making a laptop, since "what we we know as a cellphone and what we know as a PC are in many ways converging." Sounds about right to us -- but even more interestingly, we're also getting word from the generally-reliable Mobile-Review that Espoo's working on a MID powered by the new multicore ARM Cortex A9 Sparrow chip. If M-R is to be believed, the new device will only somewhat resemble the current N-series Internet Tablets, instead featuring a slide-out keyboard with diamond-shaped keys and a new widget-based interface. That's a mockup from Unwired View above, and we think it looks pretty nice -- although we're hoping Nokia's moved well beyond this hybrid N97 / Internet Tablet design language by the time this thing launches in 2011. This sort of convergence is definitely the next big trend, so we've got to ask: smartphone, MID, netbook or laptop -- what's in your (potentially giant) pocket?

[Via Electronic Pulp]

Read - Unwired View on ARM-powered MID
Read - Reuters on Nokia laptops

Filed under: Handhelds, Laptops

Nokia working on laptops, ARM-powered MID? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:56:00 EST. Please see our! terms for use of feeds.

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New slimline Acer Aspire One slimline pics, alleged specs leak

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/new-slimline-acer-aspire-one-slimline-pics-alleged-specs-leak/

After seeing the tiniest bit of evidence this morning of a slimmer Acer Aspire One, an anonymous reader has bragged to netbooknews.de that he's gotten some hands-on time with the laptop, and brought along some purported pics of it as evidence. Dimension-wise, we're looking at 0.95 inches thick, 10 inches wide, 7.28 inches deep. As for specs, it's pretty much what you'd expect from a netbook: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 with 945GME graphics, 1024 x 600 resolution, 1GB RAM, 802.11 a/b/g, a 3-cell battery that's said to last a discouraging 3 hours or less, and "apparently" integrated UMTS -- no word on whether or not this thing's packing SSD. Overall, the mysterious individual with an enigmatic hat gave it positive impressions, with special props given to the keyboard and touchpad. Hit up the read link for more pics, and Acer? Give us some official glamor shots soon, please.

Filed under: Laptops

New slimline Acer Aspire One slimline pics, alleged specs leak originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS W90 gaming laptop now listed on Newegg

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/asus-w90-gaming-laptop-now-shipping/

ASUS' heavy-hitting W90Vp-X1 gaming-friendly laptop has shown up on Newegg. The 18.4-inch behemoth's sporting a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9600, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 X2, WUXGA resolution, 6GB DDR2 RAM, 320GB HDD at 7200RPM. Of course, with specs like that, you weren't expecting it to come cheap, were you? The retailer's demanding a $2,200 ransom to take it home. Admit it, you're just happy it's an ASUS machine with no "Eee" in sight.

[Via Electronista]

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS W90 gaming laptop now listed on Newegg originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Versa heading to Verizon on March 1

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/26/lg-versa-heading-to-verizon-on-march-1/

If you're the type of individual who can never decide between the Cobb salad, the lobster bisque, and the sesame prawns and end up ordering all three, take note -- your phone has arrived. The long-rumored LG Versa lets you have your cake and eat it too by starting life as a full touchscreen slate, and when the time comes for some serious emailing, texting, or notetaking, you just snap on the included cover that includes a full QWERTY keyboard. The cover also features its own OLED display -- handy, since the Versa's 480 x 240 main display is concealed while the cover's closed -- while the phone itself rocks EV-DO Rev. A with tethering capability, a 2 megapixel cam with face detection and video recording, microSD expansion, and GPS. It'll be available starting March 1 for $249.99 on contract before a $50 mail-in rebate.

Filed under: Cellphones

LG Versa heading to Verizon on March 1 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell's greenish G2410 LCD monitor goes on sale

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/26/dells-greenish-g2410-lcd-monitor-goes-on-sale/

Dell's new 24-inch G Series LCD, which was previewed during CES this year, has finally gone on sale at the outfit's website. The G2410 flat-panel is said to be one of the firm's greenest LCDs, as it proudly sports an EPEAT Gold rating and utilizes halogen-free laminates in circuit boards along with chassis plastics that contains 25 percent post-consumers recycled plastics. Other specs include a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution panel, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 250 nits of brightness, VGA / DVI connectors and a 5 millisecond response time. It's all yours for $349, though there's no apparent discount for hugging a tree prior to pulling the trigger.

[Thanks, Rob]

Filed under: Displays

Dell's greenish G2410 LCD monitor goes on sale originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS' Eee PC 901 with 20GB SSD and 6-cell battery now just $268

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/26/asus-eee-pc-901-with-20gb-ssd-and-6-cell-battery-now-just-268/

An Eee PC costing $550 just 8 months ago is now selling for less than half that price from a trio of major on-line retailers. In an apparent across-the-board price cut, several SSD-based EEE PC 901 models have been slashed with your choice of Linux or XP. Most notable is the 8.9-inch netbook configured with a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 1GB memory, 20GB SSD, Linux, and 6-cell battery. Careful though: the European CeBIT show (an ASUS favorite event) is just days away and with it should come a few new Eee PC models running the latest Intel processors and chipsets. Consider yourselves warned. Hit the read link for the details.

Filed under: Laptops

ASUS' Eee PC 901 with 20GB SSD and 6-cell battery now just $268 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell's Inspiron Mini 10 finally up for order, starts at $399

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/26/dells-inspiron-mini-10-finally-up-for-order-starts-at-399/

It's been a rocky road, paved with hardship and confusion, but Dell's finally ready to let us at its colorful collection of Inspiron Mini 10 netbooks -- at least the order page. You can (slightly) configure them to your hearts content, but any color outside of black comes with a $30 price premium. We upped a Mini 10 to "Jade Green" and threw in a 1.6GHz Z530 Atom processor (1.33GHz is standard) and ended up at $479, but there's no expanding beyond the 1GB of RAM or the 160GB HDD, as per the international netbook treaty. The order page is quoting a "preliminary ship date" of April 2nd, up from the March 31st we saw two days ago, so we hope that's just a rough estimate.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Gallery: Inspiron Mini 10 finally shows up at Dell's website

Filed under: Laptops

Dell's Inspiron Mini 10 finally up for order, starts at $399 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Nuclear Grade Duct Tape [Stuff We Like]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/MZ8wtEaJ4HA/nuclear-grade-duct-tape

3M's nuclear-grade Performance Plus duct tape is serious about holding your business together in the harshest of conditions.

What makes it nuclear grade, you ask?

3M Performance Plus Duct Tape 8979N is tested by an independent laboratory to insure that it meets the low leachable halogen and sulfur levels required by nuclear regulating agencies.

Honestly, we're not sure just how how much you'll need that extra protection (or what do I know, maybe you do), but as big fans of MacGyver-style hacking, we're not ones to look the other way when we spot some serious duct tape. The 3M Performance Plus duct tape will set you back $14 at Amazon.

3M Performance Plus Duct Tape 8979N (Nuclear Grade)
[3M via UneasySilence]
3M Performance Plus 8979N Nuclear Grade 48-Millimeter-by-54.8-Meter Duct Tape [Amazon]

Install Google Toolbar 6, Get Quick Search Box [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/ML_uGBGj174/install-google-toolbar-6-get-quick-search-box

Windows only: Remember Quick Search Box, Google's new search-and-launch application built by the same guy who developed Quicksilver? Well, now it's available for Windows—you've just got to install Google Toolbar in IE to get it.

That's right, Quick Search Box is only available to install through Google Toolbar for IE, of all things. We don't even particularly like the Google Toolbar to begin with, let alone IE. On the plus side, if QSB requires Google Toolbar, better that I install it on IE—where I never have to see it—than on a browser I might actually be using. But anyway, on to the application we're interested in.

First, the bad news. In actuality, the Windows version of Quick Search Box is much lighter on features than the Mac version. For example, you can't drill down into any search items the same way the beta of QSB for Mac does. In fact, it really can't do all that much at the moment.

Now for the good news. What it can do, it does very well. QSB for Windows is a very simple, no-nonsense search box. It searches the web, and it searches for and launches applications (from what I can tell so far, it just indexes your Start menu). It's extremely fast and responsive, and it didn't use more than 15MB of memory while I was testing it. In fact, QSB for Windows is clearly more stable at the moment than QSB for Mac. Of course, functionally speaking, that's sort of like saying a screwdriver is more stable than a power drill. It's nice, but you'd still really like to be using a power drill.

We're waiting to see some serious improvements before we're ready to give QSB for Windows the same optimistic enthusiasm w! e've sho wn its Mac counterpart. In reality, QSB for Windows is very similar in feel to early versions of Launchy—with the admittedly nice addition of Google search. Still, we've seen that in Google Desktop. So while we're big fans of the QSB effort on Mac, we're so far pretty lukewarm on QSB for Windows.

On a related note, the new beta of the Google Toolbar isn't bad if you're into that sort of thing. It adds the Chrome start page to, which is cool, but if you really like Google that much, you may as well be using Chrome in the first place.

Google Toolbar 6 Beta (Note: The link will redirect to Google Toolbar 5 unless you're using IE)

Hidden Preference Tweaks in Safari 4 [Safari 4]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/gxNm_4Zgm5k/hidden-preference-tweaks-in-safari-4

If you have been kicking the tires on Safari 4, you might be interested in Random Genius' list of basic preference tweaks for people looking to disable some of the new features. [Random Genius]

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