Friday, December 26, 2008

MSI Wind desktop now available in Japan, slightly less barebones than before

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/25/msi-wind-desktop-now-available-in-japan-slightly-less-barebones/

Remember that thrifty MSI Wind Desktop that came out here in August? A slightly meatier version -- which looks like the one that was supposed to be out in September -- is now available in Japan. The CD100-JP Nettop still lacks a hard drive, RAM and operating system, but it's now equipped with a slot-loading drive and a snazzy white finish in addition to that 1.6GHz Intel Atom 330 and 11.8 x 9.5 x 2.6-inch case. It's currently selling for 26,000 yen, or about $290. Still no word on a US release -- last we heard it wasn't gonna happen, but we can't keep wishing.

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MSI Wind desktop now available in Japan, slightly less barebones than before originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel put the kibosh on anti-Ion hubbub, welcomes standalone Atom sales

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/25/intel-put-the-kibosh-on-anti-ion-hubbub-welcomes-standalone-ato/

A nasty rumor had been making the rounds about Intel, something along the lines of it wouldn't sell its Atom CPUs to netbook vendors without its 945 chipset in tow. If true, the move would essentially act to block graphical entrants such as NVIDIA from making a move into the netbook GPU space. An unnamed Intel spokesman chimed in on the whispers today by outrightly denying the claims, telling InternetNews that "there is nothing preventing vendors from using [NVIDIA's] Ion platform; [Intel] sells Atom as a standalone processor, or as a package with chipset." 'Course, it's not like Intel hasn't pulled similar tricks before, and to say that the chip maker's relationship with NVIDIA has been dysphoric is understating things dramatically. Still, it sounds as if the company's in the clear here, but we're still waiting to see a wicked Atom + Ion combo in a shipping product before we believe the hatchet is entirely buried.

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Intel put the kibosh on anti-Ion hubbub, welcomes standalone Atom sales originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Online Polls: Find the best Web Polling Software for your needs

Source: http://www.labnol.org/internet/best-web-polling-software/6207/

Most Web Polling software are free, intuitive and require no technical knowledge but the only problem is that there are just too many polling services available and picking the one that best fits your requirement may not be that easy. The following guide therefore highlights the unique features of all the popular web polling software around and this should help you make the right choice quickly.

toluna1. Toluna - Toluna is an online polling software that also lets you add videos and pictures to poll answers to make them look more descriptive. The service is integrated with Plaxo so it should be easy to invite existing contacts to take your poll.

When you create a new poll inside Toluna, it will automatically suggest a list of existing polls that could be related to the poll you have in mind. This is a big time saver for general interest polls like "Which is your favorite email?" because you can just copy an existing poll rather than doing everything from scratch.

micropoll2. Micropoll - This web poll service doesn’t require registration and you can create a quick poll by simply typing all the possible choices in a text box separated by new lines. Micropoll provides a variety of colored themes and you can embed polls in websites either as JavaScript or a Flash movie. You get to see poll responses on a world map and the paid version also supports SMS polls.

google-docs3. Google Docs - You create a new form in Google Docs and include either "Multiple Choice" or "Choose from a list" type of questions to compose a poll.

This is very practical for large polls / surveys as all the data is directly captured inside a spreadsheet and that makes for easy analysis. However the poll embedding options in Google Docs aren’t very convenient and users can’t see the results after voting.

polldaddy4. PollDaddy is the most popular online polling software that was recently acquired by Automattic, the same company that also develops WordPress blogging software.

PollDaddy also lets you insert pictures and YouTube clips in your polls though there’s no integrated search as in Toluna. You can choose a styles from the available skins or create something unique via CSS. Polls can be embedded in web pages either as JavaScript or Flash widgets. You can subscribe to poll results via RSS feeds or export them as XML / CSV for analysis in programs like Microsoft Excel.

strawpoll5. StrawPoll - This is an interesting service that lets you run live polls on Twitter. You post a question one your Twitter page directly via StrawPoll and your Twitter friends / followers can vote by simply replying to your Tweet.

StrawPoll allows only two choices per question (like Do you like Coffee? Yes or No) but still great for getting feedback from the Twitter community as it very convenient. (also see: Twitter Guide)

poll-everywhere6. Poll Everywhere - The drawback with either of the poll services discussed above is that they all require web access for people to participate and are therefore not very useful in situations where you want the offline audience to vote (like a conference room without Internet).

A good alternative to web polls are SMS Polls where people can vote though text messaging on mobile phones just like polls conducted on TV or radio. The Poll Everywhere service is now available in almost every country and the basic plan is free though it only allows 30 votes per poll.

notifu7. Notifu - Another unique service that lets you conduct polls via Email or IM. You create a poll on the Notifu website, type in the possible responses and then invite contacts who can vote through email, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger and all other popular IM clients.

Other than email or IM, your friends / colleagues can also vote via SMS messages though that is a charged option.

vizu8. Vizu Polls - If you are looking to expand the reach of your web polls beyond the limited audience of your blog or website, Vizu Web Polls are an option worth looking at.

With Vizu you can create a regular poll and embed it on your own site - it will also show the voter locations on a Google Map. Next is the Vizu ad network where you can have that poll published on external websites for a fee.

imageWhich polling software is right for me?

All the services discussed above offer some unique options. For instance, Notifu allows polling via email while Micropoll lets you create polls even without asking for your email address. So here’s my take:

If you are doing a poll with a small group of friends some of who may be on email or IM, go with Notifu.

If you are a doing a presentation in a conference room and need opinions of participants over a certain topic, try Poll Everywhere as not everywhere may be carrying a web enable smartphone.

If you need polls for embedding in web pages, stick with Poll Daddy. The free version of PollDaddy offers unlimited polls and unlimited number of votes though you’ll have to upgrade to the Pro version for detailed visitor analysis like the ability the see voter location and also to prevent fraudulent multiple votes from the same IP address.

If you are creating a general poll from scratch but need ideas for possible responses / answers, give Toluna a shot.  And finally, if you to need to run your poll on external websites, your only choice is Vizu.

Related: Useful Blog Add-on and Widgets

Online Polls: Find the best Web Polling Software for your needs - Digital Inspiration

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Sony Vaio Pocket: The Fancy Mystery Netbook Leaked [Vaio]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/8o6bAGvihII/sony-vaio-pocket-the-fancy-mystery-netbook-leaked

Sony Style has leaked some specs of the netbook—what I have heard is its flagship announce at the show—ahead of its CES 2009 coming out of the closet party. It's name is Pocket.

The soon to be officially smallest notebook in Sony's line will have an unspecified 1.33Ghz processor, which is probably an Atom. More interestingly is the razor sharp 1600x768 pixel screen on an 8-inch LED backlit screen. (Which is almost too many pixels per square inch, despite Sony's apparent desire for the Pocket to be the most expensive and fancy netbook ever.) It'll also have the option of either a 60GB HDD or, strangely, a 128GB SSD module. I believe this is the first notebook I've seen that can be configured in SSD sizes larger than what's available in traditional drives. Battery and pricing are filled in as "X' and "NaN", still yet to be determined. It'll come in red, silver-painted plastic (bleh) and black.

Teasers and bits of Sony's netbook, long rumored and often denied, have been coming in recent weeks, but this is the first leak from their official website. Also, the name is the same as the already forgotten 2004 Vaio Pocket.

The photo is probably a placeholder so we still have more to learn before its coming out party. [Sony Style via Sony Insider, thanks Chris, damn you Sony Style for making me! post on Christmas.]



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Lenovo W700ds struts its stuff on film

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/25/lenovo-w700ds-struts-its-stuff-on-film/


We'll freely admit that Lenovo's ThinkPad W700ds is, shall we say... intriguing. So sure, we're a little envious that GottaBeMobile's gotten their hands on one, but they've kindly shared what they know with the rest of the world. The model they've got boasts a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme CPU, 4 GB of RAM, and NVIDIA Quadro FX3700M graphics. As for those displays, the primary is a 17-inch WUXGA with a 1920 x 1200, and the secondary panel is a 10.6-inch WXGA with a 768 x 1200 resolution. It all looks mighty interesting to us, but you're going to want to check the video after the break to see for yourself.

Continue reading Lenovo W700ds struts its stuff on film

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Lenovo W700ds struts its stuff on film originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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