Friday, July 18, 2008

Panasonic Shows Off Surface-Like Digital Wall [Digital Wall]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/338557485/panasonic-shows-off-surface+like-digital-wall

Microsoft's getting some competition for its Surface device. Panasonic is showing off a very Surface-like product it's calling Digital Wall, and it's exactly what it sounds like. While at this point it doesn't appear to offer all the the features of Surface it could also come in much cheaper that the Microsoft version, and for many people that's the key. Hit the jump for a short video of the Digital Wall in action. [Digital World Tokyo]


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HP set to launch the Compaq 2730p Centrino 2 tablet PC

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/338072010/

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According to our friends at AVING, HP is set to launch a business-themed tablet PC with Intel's Centrino 2 on-board. The device -- dubbed the Compaq 2730p -- will be an update to the 2710p, and will feature a 12.1-inch WXGA display, a 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo L9400 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, a GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics chipset, and Windows Vista... of course. No word on a price or release date, but plenty of handsome pictures if you hit the read link.

[Thanks, Elais]
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T-Mobile Germany says sipgate makes jailbreaking too attractive

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/338206314/

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Alright, can someone help us out with a little primer on German law here? California-based sipgate offers up a VoIP client for the iPhone that -- for the moment, anyway -- requires a jailbroken handset to run. It goes about its business on WiFi airwaves, so from the carrier's perspective, no harm, no foul, right? Not so much. T-Mobile Germany takes issue with the app, claiming that it's enticing its iPhone users to jailbreak -- a violation of its contract terms. Furthermore, the contract disallows VoIP of any kind, WiFI or otherwise, which pretty much makes sipgate public enemy number one in T-Mob's eyes. They've gone ahead and sent out a nasty little cease 'n desist, which sipgate says it plans to fight all the way through the court system if that's how T-Mobile wants to roll; meanwhile, it's still providing service and says that "for the time being [its] users are safe." Fight the good fight, guys.

[Via TUAW]
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AMD reports Q2 results: $1.2B loss, quitting handheld and digital television businesses

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/338515091/

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Well, no wonder Hector Ruiz quit as the CEO of AMD earlier today -- the chipmaker just announced its second quarter results, and they're not good. In addition to an overall $269M operating loss, the company is taking an $876M charge against the purchase of ATI so it can abandon the handheld graphics and digital TV markets. To be honest, we hadn't been hearing much about ATI's plans in those areas, so it's probably for the best the company is focusing on getting Barcelona out the door after the launch of Puma -- but we doubt much is going to happen with a power vacuum at the top and a bottom line that's bleeding red.

[Via Crave]
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Intel's 3.2GHz quad-core Bloomfield gaming CPU to hit for $999?

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/338789081/

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When you're Intel, everyone from governments to gamers wants to know your next move. So pay attention, DigiTimes has it on shaky word from "motherboard makers" that Intel's next quad-core, 3.2GHz Extreme "Bloomfield"-class gaming processor for overblown desktop rigs will hit for $999 when purchased in bulk by PC manufacturers -- a traditional price-point for Intel's top o' the line Extreme silicon until the launch of its $1,499 Core 2 Extreme QX9775 earlier this year. We should also expect $562, 2.93GHz and $284, 2.66GHz versions before the year is up.
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ExpressGate "instant-on" OS tested on ASUS Eee Box

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/338810357/

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With a name like instant-on, it just has to be quick, right? Well, sort of. The cool cats over at Laptop paradoxically got to play with ASUS latest ExpressGate-equipped desktop, the Eee Box. Upon mashing the power button and clicking the stopwatch, it took 11 seconds to get to the main ExpressGate page, where users could select the browser, photo viewer, Pidgin chat or Skype button. Upon clicking browser, they found that it took 25 more seconds to push through and get Firefox up and running, putting the grand total for quick clickers at 35 seconds from startup to being on the web. Hit the read link for more coverage of the ExpressGate Olympics, complete with a video that takes 1 to 10 seconds to load depending on connection speed.
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Nokia's N810 stoops to a mouthwatering $299

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/338922328/

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It's a common problem, really. You're eager to get Windows 3.1 back into your life, but you've no N810 to install it on. Good news retro software aficionados -- said internet tablet has just tumbled to $299.99 (at CompUSA, at least), a full $90 less than the price we cheered over in March. Yeah, that 800 x 480 resolution display, VGA camera and full QWERTY keyboard is more attainable than ever, but with the possibility of a bombastic successor just around the bend, would it pay off even more to wait? The world may never know (although that's highly unlikely).

[Thanks, Vamsi]
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Optimizing DirectX on Multi-Core Architecture Part 1

By Eric Caoili
Intel technical marketing engineer Brad Werth delivers this week featured video, discussing an informative set of slides on "Optimizing DirectX on Multi-Core Architectures" put together by Intel Applications engineer Leigh Davies. ...
Visual Computing - http://www.gamasutra.com/visualcomputing/blog/

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Thursday, July 17, 2008

SpiderOak Offers 2GB of Free, Cross-Platform Backup [Featured Download]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/336084409/spideroak-offers-2gb-of-free-cross+platform-backup


Windows/Mac/Linux (All platforms): Online backup utility SpiderOak is notable for its true cross-platform availability, but it also offers (like Mozy) 2 GB of non-expiring free storage space and the ability to run in the background, making persistent backups as you change the contents of any folders you want to watch. The creators boast of a compression algorithm that speeds up both uploads and restoration, and unlimited bandwidth for paying customers, but its real value comes in its simple interface and set-and-forget nature. For any user—but especially Linux newcomers—who doesn't quite feel comfortable setting up their own automated backups, SpiderOak is a viable option. SpiderOak is free to download and create a 2 GB account; each 10 GB increment after that costs about $5/month.


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Top 10 Computer Annoyances and How to Fix Them [Lifehacker Top 10]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/337200767/top-10-computer-annoyances-and-how-to-fix-them


Computers are supposed to make our lives easier, but too much of the time they can be frustrating, time-wasting, stubborn machines. From the irritating "Access Denied" message when you can't remember your 147th password, to all the useless email that clutters your inbox, to IT lockdown restrictions that keep you from getting your job done, let's take a look at 10 of the more common gripes amongst computer users and our humble suggestions for fixing them. Photo by basykes.

10. Dashboard widgets (OS X).

widget%20on%20desktop.pngIf you've got a newer or high-powered Mac that never seems to drag, then your Dashboard widgets are probably just a dandy little convenience. But those lacking memory or just sick of accidentally hitting F12 and getting their screen taken over by Dashboard could use a little help. If you just want to make the widgets go away for one session, you can install the simple Dashquit widget or use these terminal commands for the job. Killing multiple widgets, like those iterations that pop up from delivery trackers, is easier if you hold the Option key. And those looking for leaner, cleaner Dashboard can speed it up with some cache cleaning. And if you're really only hitting F12 for a single widget, try pulling it onto the desktop.


9. Remembering passwords.

password_cropped.pngYes, yes—the "duh" answer is "use Firefox to save your passwords," but even the mighty 'fox can be used more securely, and made to remember any password. For your other data, including login and encryption tools, you could try an easy universal password system, a randomizer like Diceware, or other tools like Strong Password Generator or the Password Chart. It beats trying to remember which combination of Simpsons character and three-digit number you used for that rarely-updated social network.


8. Google search result links are indirect, awkward, and too long to copy.

If you're a power Googler who's constantly grabbing image, site, and news links from searches, you know that you don't actually get the direct link from right-clicking—you get more than a 100 characters of link-tracking gobbledy-gook. True, the link will get you there eventually, but it's not exactly email-friendly, and it's an unnecessary click-through. CustomizeGoogle, one of our Top 10 Must-Have Firefox Extensions, fixes this with just one of its many, many tweaks—"Remove click tracking," found in the first "Web" set of options. You'll get nice, clean links to copy or send, as illustrated (fourth-grade style) below:


7. Hours spent re-installing Windows XP (or Vista).

top10_nlite.jpgIt's usually only 20-30 minutes from slipping in that holographic XP or Vista CD/DVD to arriving at your new-car-fresh desktop, but it's often a few hours' work getting everything customized, updated, and tweaked to your liking. With the
nLite tool for XP, or vLite for Vista, you can skip a ton of clicking and pop-up answering during installation and first boot-up—in the case of nLite, pretty much all of it. Here's a guide to slipstreaming XP Service Pack 3 into a new, automated installation CD, and the Digital Inspiration blog has a similar walk-through of vLite for Vista. nLite's also a great tool for creating a stripped-down, speedier XP for virtualization or older machines.


6. Windows Vista, in general.

02restart.pngWe really don't mean to rag on Windows in this list—in fact, let's admit that Windows Vista isn't as bad as one would believe from the common blog or news post. It does, however, have some qu! irks tha t can quickly nip at your last nerves. Luckily, fellow tech enthusiast and blogger The How-To Geek did us a solid by writing up 10 ways to make Windows Vista less annoying, each with a link to a detailed explanation over at his own site. Before you feel compelled to say it in the comments—yes, "Install XP on Your Vista Computer" is one of the tips.


5. RE: Fwd: Fwd: Email (and time-wasting email in general).

top10_fwfwfwmail.jpgThere are tons of tools to improve your own productivity and stop wasting time on useless stuff—but not everybody got the memo, as you might notice from your inbox. Your best options for dealing with chain forwards, repetitive conversations, and other email gaffes are smart filters, including a fwd filter for those "Did you know" emails from Aunt Margie and Uncle Bif. Correspondents just not getting the message? Take the next step with an explanatory email etiquette page. Need proof that wasteful messages are eating up your time? Gmail/Google Apps users can take a detailed look at the waste with Mail Trends.


4. File copying freezes and awkwardness (Windows).

top10_teracopy.pngYou've got the entire run of "The Wire" in a 20 GB folder, and you've set it up to transfer to your external hard ! drive wh ile you're at the movies. You get home, flick the monitor on, and ... well, Windows just gave up at some point, and you're ready to toss your keyboard. Free Windows add-on TeraCopy is exactly what you need. It makes file transfers faster, more consistent, and it provides realistic job times and status reports. You'll hardly notice it's there—which is just about perfect.

3. Office IT restrictions.

workplace_computer.jpgYou can understand why the tech gurus at work don't let those people install apps willy-nilly, change system settings, or check out certain web sites. You, however, are tech-savvy, responsible, and just need to IM this one client, for Pete's sake. We know your pain, and, luckily, Gina's assembled a guide to surviving IT lockdown that should get you around most IT restrictions. If you're all but chained to the default Internet Explorer and long for Firefox, you can still get some of its best features. Photo by cell105.


2. GIANT email attachments.

attachments_filter.jpgUntil a stable, easy-to-install Flux capacitor is available, you won't be able to go back in time and prevent your relatives, co-workers and goofy-humored friends from sending that "hilarious" 10 MB PowerPoint "joke." You can, however, mitigate the annoyance and damage done to your inbox. The best suggestion we've got for any nearly any account is to create a Gmail account to manage your other mail. That way, you can jump in and check your important messages, while your dedicated mail client is frozen trying to grab that huge file. You can then use tools like Gmail Drive (Windows), gDisk (Mac OS X), and GmailFS (Linux) to clear space-hogging attachments from your email accounts. Or you can just simply filter and kill giant attachments with Gmail's advanced search-and-filter tools. If you're stuck with big attachments in Outlook, there are ways of extracting attachments without having to open the actual email, using Outlook Attachment Remover or this simple trick described by the Digital Inspiration blog. The real solution? Get your friends or relatives a copy of Picasa or another photo manager that auto-magically shrinks pictures before sending. For every other file type, there's just courteous, unsolicited tech support emails.


1. All that crappy "default" software.

vlcthumb.pngWhether you're unpacking a new PC, helping out a friend, or sitting down at a new office system, you're more than likely going to find some, as Gina puts it, sucktackular software on there. S! eriously , now—RealPlayer? Pop-ups asking to renew Norton/McAfee/Symantec? Limewire, for crying out loud? We've rounded up the free, and superior, alternatives to those persistent programs, and many of our suggestions are cross-platform, open source, and do a better job than the system-dragging softs you find in the wilds of computing.


We've covered lots and lots of other annoyances, computer-based and not, during Lifehacker's run, and we're sure you've got your own software tweaks you just couldn't take anymore. What irksome issues did you have to get rid of, and how did you do it? What irreplaceable software smooths out your desktop? Hop on the couch and share the pain in the comments.


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Why Buy When You Can Build? [Hackintosh]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/337307022/why-buy-when-you-can-build

hack-pic1.pngApple is suing a company called Psystar for selling computers with OS X installed on non-Apple hardware. While buying a pre-built Hackintosh may not be in the cards, you can still build your own Hackintosh PC with a little elbow grease.


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PC Wizard Analyzes and Benchmarks Your PC [Featured Windows Download]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/337383657/pc-wizard-analyzes-and-benchmarks-your-pc

pc-wizard.pngWindows only: Free application PC Wizard is a portable tool that analyzes and benchmarks your PC. At its most basic, PC Wizard gives you an in-depth look at your hardware and system specs. But the app has a surprisingly rich feature set beyond that, including a password recovery tool for apps like Outlook in the System Information tool and a slew of cool benchmarking tools. The benchmarks measure everything from your processor and RAM to hard drive performance and even MP3 compression speeds. As a cherry on top, PC Wizard is available in a portable version you can carry on your thumb drive. PC Wizard is freeware, Windows only.


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Dell Latitude XT Multi-touch Update Available Now [Dell Latitude XT]

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/337202419/dell-latitude-xt-multi+touch-update-available-now

Just a reminder, that Dell Latitude XT multi-touch firmware update is available right now. Click here to grab the ~15MB update for Vista 32 bit, 64 bit or Windows XP. Then you can use multi-touch for browsers, Office, Google Earth and more. Hurray. [Direct2Dell]


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