Monday, May 25, 2009

PatchMateXP Creates a Windows Update CD [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/k3awp-dZ094/patchmatexp-creates-a-windows-update-cd

Windows only: Updating your Windows install over a slow connection, or as part of multiple installations, can be a time-consuming pain. PatchMateXP bundles all current updates onto an easy to use deployment disk.

We've covered methods of slipstreaming and creating your own custom Windows update disks before, with tools like Windows Update Maker, AutoPatcher, and nLite. PatchMateXP offers a radically simplified—albeit all or nothing—approach to updating your Windows installation. Updated monthly, PatchMateXP is meant to be burned onto a CD and run from within Windows. It applies every update release for Windows. If you need granular control over your updates to avoid known complications with your hardware, peripherals, or software and a particular Windows update you'll definitely want to skip PatchMateXP and check out the tools above for more selective installation. PatchMateXP is a free tool, Windows only.



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What Would You Do with a $40 Computer? [Ask The Readers]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/xJxgjRvKESo/what-would-you-do-with-a-40-computer

A handful of companies are making tiny computers, complete with USB and Ethernet jacks not much bigger than a hefty electrical plug. We're dying to hear how you'd put such a tiny computer to use.

What are these tiny computers we speak of? The chief executive of Marvell Technology Group, one of the companies manufacturing these tiny power-plug sized computers, told the New York Times.

What's in the plug? It's a tiny plastic box that you plug into an electric outlet. There's no display. But there is an Ethernet jack to connect to a home network and a USB socket for attaching a hard drive, camera or other device. Inside is a 1.2 gigahertz Marvell chip, called an application processor, running a version of the Linux operating system.

They envision a future of tiny ubiquitous computers that do everything from serve files to control home appliances. The plugs currently run $99, but they project prices will fall to $40 within the next two years. We're dying to hear what projects you'd cook up with access to cheap $40 wall wart sized computers.

Plugging In $40 Computers [The New York Times]



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HTC Lancaster is a QWERTY slider with Android for AT&T

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/24/htc-lancaster-is-a-qwerty-slider-with-android-for-atandt/

AT&T's been extraordinarily coy about its Android plans, right up through our interview with Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega back in February -- but rest assured, the carrier does plan to get in the game, and it might just beat a number of T-Mobile's planned launches to market. Meet the HTC Lancaster, which kinda looks like a Magic when closed -- but open, it takes on more of a traditional Touch Pro-ish form factor for a QWERTY slider than the G1 / Dream. It's got triband EDGE and 850 / 1900MHz HSPA, AGPS, a 3 megapixel fixed-focus camera, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD expansion, and a "unique HTC social messaging user interface" that we'd assume takes cues from that Hero stuff we've been seeing recently. It's lined up for a full six months of AT&T exclusivity and -- according to our materials, anyway -- has a target availability date of August 3, meaning we could see this pretty shortly. Unfortunately, there's a note here that "Initial Lab Entry dates were based on Google Mobile Services (GMS) UI, AT&T standard UI has been requested, which puts schedule in question." In other words, AT&T wants its fingerprints all over the interface, which risks pushing out the launch -- and that's a double whammy of suck. Follow the break for a larger shot of the phone!

Continue! reading HTC Lancaster is a QWERTY slider with Android for AT&T

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HTC Lancaster is a QWERTY slider with Android for AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 May 2009 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blackberry Magnum, Onyx, Pearl 3G, and Gemini to harmonize on AT&T

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/24/blackberry-magnum-onyx-pearl-3g-and-gemini-to-harmonize-on-at/

BlackBerry lovers, AT&T beckons. Looks like the just-reviewed Onyx is heading to AT&T and, as rumored before, so is the Magnum. We've got no pics of the latter device, but it's being touted here as the "BlackBerry Bold portfolio evolution" and uses the same processor as the Bold. It's also got a HVGA touchscreen, QWERTY pad, quad-band GSM / GRS / EDGE, GPS, and WiFi. Want more? How about an apparently non-flip Pearl 3G with 3.6 Mbps of HSDPA goodness, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, trackball, SureType, and aGPS. Rounding out this quartet is the Gemini, with a 512MHz processor, 256MB flash memory, 128MB RAM, Bluetooth, QVGA LCD, 2 megapixel sans flash, trackball, QWERTY keyboard, 3.5mm headset jack, a microSD slot, possibly GPS, and sadly, no 3G. There's no release date in sight, but hey, knowing they're on the way is half the battle, right?

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Blackberry Magnum, Onyx, Pearl 3G, and Gemini to harmonize on AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 May 2009 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Grouper, Mako, Snapper, and Thresher rolling deep on AT&T

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/24/nokia-grouper-mako-snapper-and-thresher-rolling-deep-on-atandt/

Who said Nokia doesn't have a major commitment to North American carriers? We've landed news of a whole plethora of Espoo-sourced devices scheduled to hit AT&T over the coming months, and a few in particular caught our eye. Most notably, the Mako (pictured) is unlike anything we've ever seen Nokia make, mostly thanks to a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard that doesn't really resemble any existing hardware. It rides on the same S60 3.2-based platform as the 6650 and E71x, features dual-band HSDPA, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, AGPS, 2 megapixel camera, Video Share, and 128MB of internal storage with microSD expansion. Sadly -- this is going to be a dream killer for some folks, we think -- it's only got a 2.5mm headphone jack, which is a step back for multimedia support. This one was at one time targeted for June 5, but if we had to guess, it's been pushed back -- maybe we're crazy, but we feel like it hasn't leaked enough to meet that date at this point. Anyhow, looks like this one's a good foil for that QWERTY swivel allegedly due on Verizon.

Speaking of "this looks nothing like a Nokia," the Thresher is an ultra-glossy slider that doesn't quite resemble anything officially announced in other markets. It shares its Series 40 guts with Grouper, which was the codename assigned to the 6750 Mural flip we recently saw hit the FCC. Both devices do HSDPA and AGPS; the Grouper makes do with a 2 megapixel cam, though, while the Thresher steps up to 3.2 with an integrated flash. The Thresher's signed up for September and the Grouper for July, but as with all of these, it's anyone's guess whether those dates will hold.

Finally, the Snapper flip is a lower-end device that we could envision replacing the 6555, lacking the Grouper's style but still staying strong with triband HSDPA, Bluetooth 2.1, AGPS, and a 2 megapixel camera. This one's tentatively targeted for August.

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Nokia Grouper, Mako, Snapper, and Thresher rolling deep on AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 May 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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