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Friday, January 16, 2009

Dell's Inspiron 15 ready for ordering, consumption

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/dells-inspiron-15-ready-for-ordering-consumption/

We heard that Dell's Inspiron 15 would go on sale later this month, and apparently that means now. Dell's latest 15.6-incher is up for order as we speak, and as expected, $699 gets you in the door. Those with extra cash to burn can upgrade to 4GB of RAM, a Blu-ray drive, 320GB of hard drive space and a 9-cell battery. So, you in or what?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Laptops

Dell's Inspiron 15 ready for ordering, consumption originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey Sony, where's the 1.6GHz VAIO P for America?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/hey-sony-wheres-the-1-6ghz-vaio-p-for-america/

Sure, we Americans are enamored by flashy designs, but that doesn't mean we don't appreciate performance. For whatever reason, consumers in the UK, Japan and the Principality of Sealand (among other locales) can order up Sony's oh-so-cute VAIO P with a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, while we Americans can't get anything other than the stock 1.3GHz chip. So, what gives Sony? Supply chain problems? Too much haterade? None of the above?

[Thanks, James]

Filed under: Laptops

Hey Sony, where's the 1.6GHz VAIO P for America? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC looking to NVIDIA's Tegra platform for high-performance phones?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/htc-looking-to-nvidias-tegra-platform-for-high-performance-phon/

We've been waiting patiently since Tegra's announcement half a year ago for some seriously awesome Tegra-powered hardware (well, any hardware) to get unveiled, but so far, you could hear a pin drop -- we've gotten nothing. That should hopefully change in a big way in 2009, and at least one analyst is predicting that HTC will play a role in getting that mobile NVIDIA silicon into pockets around the world. There's no question that HTC's supposed leaked lineup contains devices that would fit well into Tegra's high-function, multimedia-heavy aspirations, but on the flipside, we've also got rumors that the company moving toward Ericsson chipsets. Tegra's definitely flashier than anything in Ericsson's stable, and HTC's big enough to pursue multiple chipset strategies at the same time -- they have with software platforms, after all -- so let's hope this high drama all resolves itself by MWC next month, eh?

[Via wmpoweruser.com]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

HTC looking to NVIDIA's Tegra platform for high-performance phones? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

The Cadillac WTF: All New For the Year 8000 [Concept]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0YXXxKnrxYE/the-cadillac-wtf-all-new-for-the-year-8000

The appropriately titled Cadillac World Thorium Fuel or "WTF" has features you are not going to find anywhere else. It runs on clean Thorium nuclear fuel and offers maintenance-free service for 100 years or more.

Not only that, each wheel is actually six individually powered wheels aligned side by side. Now that's an absurd level of redundancy you can trust. Unfortunately, this car is only a concept by designer Loren Kulesus, but if you can hang around until the year 8000 or so, you just might be able to pick one up. In the meantime, these pretty pictures will have to do. [Coroflot]

Next Intel Atom's Biggest Upgrade is Its Price [Intel]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/wkPhHZni65U/next-intel-atoms-biggest-upgrade-is-its-price

Some details have emerged about Intel's Atom N280 processor, the successor to the wildly popular N270 that drove last year's netbook craze. In short, it's not looking like much of an update.

The N280 gets three performance boosts: the speed will inch up from 1.6GHz to 1.66GHz, the front side bus will climb from 533MHz to 667MHz, and the bundled graphics hardware, the Intel GN40, will likely fare better than the old 945GSE in terms of Blu-ray playback and light gaming.

Despite a H2 2009 expected release, which would make the Atom more than a year old, this by all counts incremental upgrade will cost end users $14-$19 dollars more than the current-gen processor, with the chipset. This doesn't sound like much until you consider that the Atom sells for a mere $46, and that some of the netbooks it's bundled with can dip below $300.

A likely reason for planning this refresh is added pressure from Nvidia's Ion graphics unit, which promises huge increases in graphics performance in Atom netbooks over Intel's lethargic offering. [Digitimes—Thanks, Adam]

Buffalo Draft N Wireless Dongle Makes Your Netbook Look Huge [Wi-Fi]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/I-jqqvM88KA/buffalo-draft-n-wireless-dongle-makes-your-netbook-look-huge

Buffalo Electronics is claiming that their WLI-UC-GN Wi-Fi dongle is the smallest Draft N 2.0 adapter in the world. Is it? Who knows. But it's definitely tiny, and surprisingly cheap.

At 33mm by 16mm, this dongle really couldn't be much smaller—the brains of the unit are almost the same size as the plug itself. Nor could it be much more affordable. Though it's only available in Japan for now, the price translates to about $25.

It doesn't appear to be crippled in any serious way either, claiming official B/G certification for assured backwards compatibility, base station operation for bridging connection between peripherals or other PCs, and the automated WPS security system, along with Buffalo's own AirStation One-Touch Secure System. The main selling point here, obviously, is size—the WLI would make a great company for a netbook that needs to make the Draft N jump. [Buffalo via Akihabara]

Dell's 2209WA LCD monitor reviewed, deemed king of 22-inchers

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/dells-2209wa-lcd-monitor-reviewed-deemed-king-of-22-inchers/

Dell's 2209WA just surfaced a few days ago, and already we're seeing the first review of said panel courtesy of CNET's Australian branch. The 22-inch IPS display was said to boast "excellent color and viewing angles and great gaming performance" at a fantastic price point, with the only real knocks being the omission of 1:1 scaling and the inset design which occasionally caused reflections. Yeah, minor quibbles indeed. In fact, reviewers struggled to even find those, and they were downright giddy to hand out a 9 out of 10 rating along with this strongly worded quote: "This is the best 22-inch monitor we've seen." 'Nuff said, huh?

Filed under: Displays

Dell's 2209WA LCD monitor reviewed, deemed king of 22-inchers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI announces Wind NetTop D130 -- the desktop with Nordic styling

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/msi-announces-wind-nettop-d130-the-desktop-with-nordic-stylin/

MSI announces Wind NetTop D130 -- the desktop with Nordic styling

Every morning we struggle to stay awake while reading one copycat netbook announcement after another, and, now that low-end desktops seem to be finding the same popularity, we've ordered a fleet of coffee robots to keep eyes open at Engadget HQ. On the heels of unveiling its mildly interesting all-in-one Neton series, MSI has followed up with the rather more generic D130 NetTop, featuring something MSI calls "Nordic Simple Style" (which they previously just called barebones). Moving beyond appearances, the machine does seem like a decent package, sporting a mild but serviceable Atom 330 processor, 2GB of DDR2 memory, a Super-Multi DVD burner, 7.1 output, and a meager 35W power consumption when operating at "full speed." Granted, that full speed won't do much for your 3DMark scores, but an expected $240 price tag should make it a good fit for anyone in search of a simple machine for desk or home theater.

[Via I4U News, image courtesy of TweakTown]

Filed under: Desktops

MSI announces Wind NetTop D130 -- the desktop with Nordic styling originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips introduces ultra widescreen Cinema 21:9 LCD TV

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/15/philips-introduces-ultra-widescreen-cinema-21-9-lcd-tv/

Last July, we took a look at whether or not ultra widescreen HDTVs could eventually become a reality. Fast forward half a year and change, and here we have Philips answering that with a resounding "sure, why not?" The Cinema 21:9 is said to be the planet's first cinema-proportioned LCD TV, and of course, it'll also incorporate Ambilight technology around the borders. We'll be frank -- we had our doubts upon seeing the lackluster website linked below that this thing was even real, but Philips itself confirmed to us that the panel will be shipping this Spring in Germany, Belgium, the UK and France. We're also told that a full site will launch on January 29th, though no pricing details (nor a US release date) were mentioned. Our one and only wish? That this thing would've been displayed at CES last week.

[Via GadgetVenue]

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Philips introduces ultra widescreen Cinema 21:9 LCD TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New in Labs: Send & Archive

Source: http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-in-labs-send-archive.html

In addition to having two cappuccinos, my morning routine includes processing new mail that's arrived in my inbox overnight. More often than not, as I reply to a message I also want to archive it so I can enjoy the satisfaction of a pristine inbox. Having clicked "Send" followed by "Archive" a few million times, I started to wish there was a way to just click once and accomplish both actions at the same time. So I decided to turn this idea to a Gmail Labs experiment. Turn on "Send & Archive" from the Labs tab under Settings, and you'll see a new button in the compose form labeled just that. The button does what it says: it sends your reply and then archives the thread with one click.

For keyboard shortcut enthusiasts tabbing to this new button works too. In the coming weeks, I'm planning to add undo support, so if you accidentally archived a thread, you can easily get it back into your inbox. Any other requests? Let us know in the Gmail Labs user group.

Fast PDF viewing right in your browser

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OfficialGmailBlog/~3/V5VieGae38Q/fast-pdf-viewing-right-in-your-browser.html

Posted by Marc Miller, Software Engineer

When I get sent a PDF, sometimes I just want to view it -- I don't always need to download and save it right then. So starting today, you'll see a new "View" link next to PDF attachments you get in Gmail:

Clicking "View" quickly opens the PDF inside your browser, complete with the graphics and formatting you expect to see in a PDF. You may have seen this feature before, in Google Docs. It's the way that we did uploading and viewing of PDFs online. Here's a screen shot:

If you want, you can still view in plain HTML from a link at the top of the new viewer. And if you want to download, save, and view your PDFs later while offline using client software, you can still do that by hitting the "Download" link.

New in Labs: Turn an email into a Google doc

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OfficialGmailBlog/~3/Uc7siHT6vSo/new-in-labs-turn-email-into-google-doc.html

Posted by Jeremie Lenfant-Engelmann, Software Engineer

More than once, I've had a conversation over email and later realized that the information contained in the messages would make a great starting point for a document. So I built an experimental feature for Gmail Labs that does just that: with one simple click, "Create a document" converts an email into a Google Docs document.

No more copying and pasting the text from your email -- just open the message you wish to convert, click the "Create a document" link on the right side of the page, and voila, you have a brand new document which you can then modify and share!

Even if you're not interested in converting any of your current messages into documents, you can easily open up a blank doc by hitting g and then w (just make sure you have keyboard shortcuts on).

To turn on this feature, go to the Gmail Labs tab under Settings, select "Enable" next to "Create a document" and hit "Save Changes" at the bottom. Though we're temporarily missing the "Send feedback" link for this feature on the Labs page (oops!), we're still anxious to hear what you think.

A holiday break to play with all the new stuff

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OfficialGmailBlog/~3/0ayvmRi6mWY/holiday-break-to-play-with-all-new.html

Posted by Zach Yeskel, Product Marketing Manager

It's been another busy year for the Gmail elves, trying to find places to store all these emails (don't you people ever sleep?)... If you're finding it hard to keep track of all the new things we've added to Gmail over the last few months, here are some of our favorites to check out while you're sipping your eggnog this week:

Catch up with distant friends and family with Gmail voice and video chat, or send them a text message with SMS chat.
When you're having trouble putting your feelings into words, try an emoticon. (There's nothing quite like a virtual emoticon hug...)
Pick a Gmail theme and spice up your inbox.
Turn on Tasks and keep track of your holiday shopping.
See your calendar, documents, and email all at once with Calendar and Docs gadgets.
Get a new, faster Gmail app on your mobile phone.
Use Mail Goggles to avoid sending out that embarrassing email after the company holiday party.
Send in your self-addressed stamped envelope and get yourself some Gmail stickers.
And ther! e's more in Gmail Labs – forgotten attachment detector, superstars, and advanced IMAP controls – check out all the new stuff in the Labs tab under Settings.

On behalf of the entire Gmail team, happy holidays! We'll see you in 2009.

Tip: Archive mail on your iPhone

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OfficialGmailBlog/~3/LKUnUQLF7Nw/tip-archive-mail-on-your-iphone.html

Posted by Arielle Reinstein, Gmail Product Marketing Manager

Pretty much everyone with an iPhone and a Gmail account has a preference for how to use the two together. Some people prefer the iPhone's built-in email client -- it's fast, syncs everything via IMAP, and works like the rest of the device. Others, myself included, can't live without search and threaded conversations and prefer to bring up Gmail in the browser. And a few people, for whom this tip is geared, read their mail via the client but switch to the browser-based version to clean out their inboxes so they can easily archive rather than delete.

See, the default Gmail set up for iPhone's built-in mail client configures things such that if you delete a message on your iPhone, it's sent to Gmail's Trash. That means in 30 days it's gone forever. Sure, you can archive by clicking the "Move to" button and then selecting "All Mail," but if you're an archive junkie and want mail you delete on your iPhone to get archived in Gmail instead, you just have to re-do the Gmail set up on your phone.

First, get rid of your default set up. Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendar. Find your Gmail account under "Accounts," click on it, scroll to the bottom, and click "Delete Account." Don't worry -- it'll be back and better than ever in a sec.

Then manually configure IMAP using the "Other" menu option by following the instructions this video (also available in the Gmail Help Center):

From then on, the iPhone's little trashcan icon will archive your m! ail. You might notice that messages you archive on your phone are actually being added to a new "Deleted Messages" label in your Gmail account -- but they're right in "All Mail" and searchable, just the way you want them.

Check Your Search Engine Rankings, Why Your Competitors in Organic Search Might Not Always Be Who You Think They Are

By: Glenn Gabe

Finding your actual competition in organic search.

When beginning a new SEO project, there are some questions that always come up during initial meetings. How does organic search work? Which keywords should we target? Do we need to redesign our entire website? And…how do we compare to our competition in natural search? I'm going to focus on the last question in this post, because there's an important point I'd like to make. Whenever I ask someone who their competition is in natural search, I typically hear the names of their core competitors (business-wise). Although that's true in a pure business sense, that's not necessarily the case in natural search. So, I often run a competitive position analysis to determine where a site ranks in the search engines as compared to its competition. It helps you (and your client) understand who their actual competition is and then sets the stage for deeper competitive analysis.

continue reading about Competitors in Organic Search....

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