Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Nokia 5230 Has 3G and GPS, Cheapest Nokia Touch Phone Yet [Cell Phones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/cGhaE_BjDsQ/nokia-5230-has-3g-and-gps-cheapest-nokia-touch-phone-yet

With one eye on the $99 iPhone, Nokia's budget ($213 before carrier subsidies) 5230 has 3G and GPS features not found on the 5530 XpressMusic, but lacks that phone's Wi-Fi, and has a pared-down 2-megapixel camera.

It also wants to be popular: easy access to Facebook and MySpace are there, as is easy access to the crappy Ovi Store. Yay?

The 5230 also has a 3.2-inch (640 by 480) touchscreen, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD memory card slot, and Symbian S60 operating system. A Comes With Music edition will offer unlimited music downloads, but will bloat out to $370 (again, before carrier discount).

Yeah, I don't know. I'll hold off judgment until I see what prices (and contract lock-ins) the 5230 is pitched with later this year, but I don't think Apple is shaking in its boots. [Nokia]

Openbook Nano Review: The Lazy Man's Hackintosh Netbook [Review]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/oHXjLlO-qC0/openbook-nano-review-the-lazy-mans-hackintosh-netbook

I'm a little torn. In even acknowledging the OpenBook Nano, I ensure that Apple will shut down Macwind, the company selling stock MSI Wind U100s preloaded with OS X for $399. But that's not the worst of it.

Following handwritten correspondence and a voicemail, I'm fairly certain that "Macwind" is just one industrious high school kid with a nice website.

But Macwind has requested this review, and how could I possibly pass it up?

So Apple, I plead that you go easy on "Craig," the owner of Macwind, even if his practice of preloading OS X onto netbooks for resale (using publicly available tutorials, I'm sure) is pretty unquestionably a breach of one or more laws.

His site shares your aesthetics, and the MSI Wind he's selling, loaded with a 1.6GHz atom, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and of course, OS 10.5.8, is really a pretty good product even for the $100 premium over a stock U100.

You guys should sell these things!

Because the build is solid with all the necessary drivers preloaded (some of which MSI has actually "leaked" themselves). The 1024x600 screen displays your desktop beautifully, while most of they keyboard's function keys are operational (like brightness, volume and sleep).

You can even pop in an SD card to expand the storage, just like your latest Mac! books!

But alas, we know that you know that you must shut Craig down. We won't frown upon your actions. After all, just because the kid is young doesn't excuse him from your trademarks and copyrights.

We simply ask that you go easy on him. Make him cry, sure, but pity him, too. Don't crush him with a lifetime of legal debt. A kind call from Steve Jobs, a middle manager or one of those attractive ladies in Apple PR will probably clear up any legal misunderstandings. (His number is on the site, otherwise I'll be happy to provide it.)

And maybe, while Craig's first garage-based computer business has failed him, his next one will not. [Macwind (down)]

No installs needed.

Reasonable price for the laziest among us.

Oh right, this operation can't be legal.

A kid might go to jail or something.

Heart-Shaped Cucumber, Anyone? [Taste Test]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/5MG28rBl4FE/heart+shaped-cucumber-anyone

Japan can be a little obsessed with their produce (I passed on a $70 bunch of grapes I spotted in one boutique Tokyo market), and now they're growing cucumbers in non-cylindrical shapes.

By raising the vegetables in simple plastic molds, one producer creates heart and star-shaped cucumbers that, when sliced, can add a touch of Hallmark holiday to any salad.

The heart versions are called "Heart Sticks" and we figure that the stars are named accordingly—leading us to assume that night stick, glow stick and dumb stick varieties are on the way. [Heart Stick via Eatnine Ghost via My Interesting Files via Weird Asia News via Geekologie]

Taste Test is our weeklong tribute to the leaps that occur when technology meets cuisine, spanning everything from the historic breakthroughs that made food tastier and safer to the Earl-Grey-friendly replicators we impatiently await in the future.

BookArc Stand Turns a MacBook Into a Desktop [MacBook]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/uaRgHLAawdM/bookarc-stand-turns-a-macbook-into-a-desktop

Designed to accommodate a MacBook Air to a 17-inch MacBook Pro, the BookArc stand helps you to free up desk space by turning your laptop into a desktop.

The product page goes on about the benefits of running your MacBook closed when using an external display and whatnot, but the bottom line here is that it elegantly orients your laptop vertically. If you use an external display at home with your laptop and you don't mind spending $50 on a stand, you can get one now at an Apple Store near you.

New stand turns Apple MacBook into a desktop

Charleston, SC—August 25, 2009—Twelve South announces the formal release of BookArcTM, a metal stand designed to hold any Apple® MacBook, from MacBook Air to the 17-inch MacBook Pro. The stand is designed to free up desk space and create a cleaner, less cluttered workspace by allowing the MacBook to operate while in a closed vertical position. BookArc is available now at the Apple Store and retails for $49.99. A BookArc "six-pack" geared towards design studios and Mac-based offices is being offered at a bundled discount price of $249.99. More information and images can be found at http://twelvesouth.com.

When a MacBook is placed into the heavy gauge steel stand, it is held in place by a soft silicone cushion. Three different sizes of easy-to-install cushions are included in the box, ensuring the right fit for various Mac models. Silicone footpads also protect the surface of your desk from scratches. BookArc has a compact footprint of just 10 by 4 inches, a fraction of what a MacBook normally takes up when sitting on a desk.

"Our vision behind BookArc was twofold," said Andrew Green, co-founder and design principal of Twelve South. "Firs! t, we se e the MacBook as a beautiful piece of art that deserves to be put on display. Second, using your laptop as a desktop when not on the road is how many Mac users work today, including myself. Running the MacBook in a BookArc tucked behind a beautiful Cinema Display frees up valuable space and provides a less cluttered modern-looking workspace."

Along with a contemporary design and improved ergonomics, BookArc can actually boost the performance of MacBooks when used with external monitors. When a MacBook is running closed in the BookArc, the MacBook will automatically dedicate 100% of its video memory to the external display - instead of splitting it with the built-in display. The result is a noticeable speed increase when working in Photoshop, Aperture, iPhoto and other graphics-intensive applications.

[Bookarc]

Adobe CS4 Will Be Compatible With Snow Leopard, But Who Knows About CS3 [Adobe]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/_Sd-tCYEijs/adobe-cs4-will-be-compatible-with-snow-leopard-but-who-knows-about-cs3

Here's Adobe's message behind their Adobe CS4/Snow Leopard compatibility report: please buy Adobe CS4 and stop using Adobe CS3.

To make a long story short, Adobe says that they've tested CS4 compatibility with SL and it doesn't need any software updates to be compatible with the new OS. But CS3?

Older versions of Adobe creative software were not included in our testing efforts.

In other words, they don't give enough of a shit to even test it. Even if anybody thought enough to throw the disc in to "see what happened", the results weren't included in this report.

That's about all the FAQ says. Except that it takes two pages to do so. [Adobe]

Leaked Shots Show N97 Mini Officially a Bad Idea, N900 Looks Pretty Good [Nokia]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0JD_zZ0BteY/leaked-shots-show-n97-mini-officially-a-bad-idea-n900-looks-pretty-good

"Hey guys, let's take the N97, not improve or actually shrink it in any way, and call it the N97 Mini." At least, that's what these leaked official shots of the N97 Mini show. The N900 though, still looks decent.

Like, I could see actually wanting this Maemo-powered slab of Finnish tablet. [BeGeek, BeGeek, Thanks Benjamin!]

Chipotle iPhone App's Super Convenient Burritos Are Going to Make Us So, So Fat [IPhone Apps]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/3JrGI9_bO-A/chipotle-iphone-apps-super-convenient-burritos-are-going-to-make-us-so-so-fat

You can delete every other fast food app on your iPhone now. Chipotle's new app sets the standard for deliciously unhealthy fast food convenience. Like seriously.

The design is top notch. After it locates the nearest Chipotle, you can build your taco, burrito, bowl or salad exactly how you want it, easily adding in whatever fillings you want, plus sides and drink. You can even include special instructions, like "easy on the beans" before you check out. It's fast and pretty. And yes, it synchronizes and saves your order, so you can get your favorite gut-busting burrito every single day without going through the process of re-building it every single time.

Every food ordering app needs to be this good. Or, you know, maybe not.

Chipotle Ordering Application Now Available on the Apple App Store
Burritos on the go: Locate, Order and Pay Using iPhone and iPod touch
DENVER – August 25, 2009 – Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG and CMG.B) today announced its new ordering application is available on the Apple App Store. The mobile ordering app gives iPhone and iPod touch users the ability to create their favorite Chipotle order, place it at the Chipotle location of their choice, and also pay for their food direct from their device.

"The breakthrough iPhone and iPod touch have really given us the ability to deliver a compelling experience to customers which includes simplicity, personality and attention to detail," said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. "We are changing the way the world thinks about and eats fast food, and the iPhone and iPod touch give us powerful new ways to engage and serve our customers. While we have always m! ade our high quality food affordable and accessible so everyone can eat better, we've probably never been this accessible."

Chipotle's time-saving app is being released in conjunction with a newly updated web-based ordering system, available on www.chipotle.com. Customers can place orders through a secure credit card payment capability that allows users to save their information for quick repeat orders and an expanded group ordering feature that allows customers to place multi-item orders under a single name. The app also allows customers to save their favorite Chipotle meals online, as well as those of friends, family, or co-workers. Using location-based technologies customers can also quickly find the nearest Chipotle.

The Chipotle app is available for free from Apple's App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/

The app was developed by Pervasent, a Berkeley, Calif. firm that develops mobile applications, and Chipotle's internal IT team and designed by San Francisco-based Sequence.

About Chipotle

Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food with Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food not only from using fresh ingredients, but ingredients that are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. Chipotle opened its first restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 860 restaurants. For more information, visit chipotle.com.

[iTunes]

MSI Confirms Wind U150 Netbook with Touchscreen and Intel's Next Atom [Notebooks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/D3FQ3iZ0nYU/msi-confirms-wind-u150-netbook-with-touchscreen-and-intels-next-atom

We heard that MSI may release a touchscreen netbook with Intel's next generation Pine Trail Atom platform, and it will. According to MSI, the new Intel Atom chipset is planned to be officially launched at CES.

However, Intel tells us that it has not nailed down the launch of Pine Trail yet though maintains it will ship products to its customers before the end of the year. MSI hopes to be first to market with Pine Trail netbooks, including its 10-inch convertible U150 with Windows 7.

Either way, the sooner we get a newer Atom the better (also keep in mind the next version of the all-popular Atom also differs by blending the CPU and GPU on the same chip). According to MSI's Andy Tung, Pine Trail is showing improved graphics performance and at least 20 percent better power consumption.

Either way, here is hoping the netvertible with its planned resistive touchscreen performs better than ASUS' Eee PC T91. However its lack of a capacitive screen and multitouch support means it won't support any of Windows 7's cool Touch Pack apps.

But before going touch, MSI will release the 12-inch Wind U210, which like the recently released Gateway LT3100, has AMD's Yukon platform rather than Intel's Atom. MSI will offer it in two different skus, including one with Windows XP, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive for $379 and another with Vista Premium for $429. The U210 will be available in the U.S. during the first weeks of September.

Sony S and E Series Walkman players start officially rocking the tunes next month

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/25/sony-s-and-e-series-walkman-players-start-officially-rocking-the/

We've been seeing Sony's S Series Walkman around the town since July, and Sony's finally seen fit to make it official, also introducing the slightly lower-rent E Series. Specs on the former are completely in-line with expectations, including a 2.4-inch QVGA LCD, FM tuning and recording, along with support for a suite of formats including MP3, protected WMA, AAC, H.264, and WMV. Again as expected it offers battery life of 42 hour hours when playing music through headphones and 6.5 hours of video, but what we didn't know was that when you're rocking it out boom box style through the integrated speakers that drops to 17 hours and five hours oh so respectively. A palette of colorful options including black, pink, violet, and red will be available, with an 8GB model going for $110 and 16GB for $130. If that's a bit too rich for you there's the 2-inch E Series, sporting a slightly smaller chassis, slightly lower battery life (30 hours music and 4 hours video), and a slightly lower price of $80 for 8GB and $100 for 16. Both ship next month.

Gallery: Sony S-Series Walkman

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Sony S and E Series Walkman players start officially rocking the tunes next month originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS EeeTop PC ET20 and ET22 now official, ready for a touch of Windows 7

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/25/asus-eeetop-pc-et20-and-et22-now-official-ready-for-windows-7s/

We've been anticipating these ION-infused EeeTops since CeBIT and, after a few leaks along the way, ASUS has finally made things official. The 20-inch ET2002 and ET2002T (guess which one comes with the touchscreen) get an Atom 330 riding that ION chipset with integrated graphics, 2GB of DDR2, 320GB storage, WiFi, a DVD rewriter and stereo speakers. The 22-inch ET2203T matches the connectivity options, but doubles the memory, adds Blu-ray and larger HDD options, ATI Radeon HD4570 graphics, and a choice between T4300 and T6500 Core 2 Duos. All can be used as standalone displays for consoles and the like via a handy HDMI-in. Most importantly though, with Windows 7 upgradability, these should be among the first machines to receive the coveted Windows Touch sticker. Wear it proudly, ASUS.

Filed under: Desktops

ASUS EeeTop PC ET20 and ET22 now official, ready for a touch of Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony announces Reader Daily Edition, free library ebook checkouts

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/25/sony-announces-daily-edition-reader/

It flew under the radar until a quiet leak this morning, but Sony's just announced the Reader Daily Edition, as well as updated Mac-compatible eBook Library 3.0 software and a new library content service. The Reader Daily Edition has a seven-inch touchscreen with 16 levels of gray as well as a AT&T 3G modem, enabling it to pull content wirelessly -- it'll launch in December for $400, and the 3G access will be free, but limited to accessing the Sony eBook store. Yeah, sorry -- no web browser here. We're a little more geeked about the library finder service, which enables you to check out ebooks and other digital content from your local public library on any of the Readers -- for free. The New York Public Library is the flashy public launch partner, but there are "thousands more" looped in through a partnership with Overdrive.com -- check out the huge selection of top-tier content you can get through the Chicago Public Library, for example. Interestingly, the library buys a fixed number of "copies" of each title and "checks out" the licenses, so you're on a time limit -- licenses will revert after 14-29 days depending on your local branch's rules. Yeah, it's a little DRM-y and there's a lot of interesting new media and copyright implications there, but it's still a pretty amazing idea, and it's definitely a major advantage over the Kindle. We're gunning for more info now, we'll let you know as soon as we find out more -- until then, check two more images after the break.

Update: We're told that partnerships with university libraries were "only a matter of time," but sadly there's no timetable for a European launch at the moment.

Read - Sony Reader Daily Edition PR
Read - Overdrive.com partnership PR

Gallery: Sony Reader Daily Edition in the wild