Thursday, December 24, 2009

Archos 9 reviewed: too big, too slow, too 'Starter'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/24/archos-9-reviewed-too-big-too-slow-too-starter/

We hate to be the bringers of bad news, but it looks like the Archos 9 might be serving as a bit of a morality tale, showing why and how PC hardware and software might not be quite ready for the large form factor tablet experience. That's not to say there aren't some plusses to the device pointed out by UMPC Portal in its review, like the great build quality and style of the tablet, the sensitive, flush touchscreen, and some great connectivity, but the sum seems less than its parts. The primary blame can be laid at the feet of the 1.1GHz Atom Z510 processor, which is sluggish and single-threaded, and Windows 7 Starter, which is lacking in the standard Windows 7 tablet functionality. We don't know all the reasoning at play here, but the result is a slow computer with a hacked-on touchscreen keyboard at a $550 pricepoint that doesn't the hit handheld UMPC size sweetspot and can hardly stand against a netbook in cost or utility. Sounds kind of mean when we say it like that, doesn't it?

Archos 9 reviewed: too big, too slow, too 'Starter' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Botnet Baddies Setting Up Own ISPs For Unfettered Spamming [Spam]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/gJztfE7kJgQ/botnet-baddies-setting-up-own-isps-for-unfettered-spamming

Well, this is equal parts frightening and annoying: malware writers and their lot have been buying up data centers and getting approved for large blocks of IP space. What's that mean? That they can pretty much run rampant.

While local registries are supposed to screen IP applications, in some parts of the world *cough* Eastern Europe *cough* there's not much of a vetting process. The result is that criminals can spam away while victims have no hosting provider or ISP to complain to. And when the tainted IP finally does get shut down—by being effectively quarantined by other ISPs and security folk—the bad guys just walk away, leaving it to rot until a legitimate business can come in and start it back up again.

The fight against botnets and malware is one where we're outspent and undermanned, and if we don't hurry up to evolve with the other team's strategies, we're all in a heap of trouble. [Threat Post via Boing Boing]




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Swann DVR4-2500 Home Security System Has Four Cameras and iPhone Streaming [Swann]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/0w3pGZUvGY4/swann-dvr4+2500-home-security-system-has-four-cameras-and-iphone-streaming

Do you enjoy dominating your house like the Trinity killer on Dexter, knowing exactly what each of your family members are doing at all times? Then Swann has the four camera security system for you.

The $700 setup has four cameras, a remote, a 500GB hard drive to record continuously for 30 days, a USB port for backing up said video and even 27 infrared LEDs to enable nighttime viewing.

What's special bout this model is the iPhone support, which you can use to stream live and recorded video from any of the cameras to your handheld screen. I would put one in the fridge so I could know exactly what to get from the supermarket on the way home from work. [Swann]




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Next-Generation iPhone May Have 5-Megapixel Camera, Sources Claim [Rumor]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/cmpbEFkKYKg/next+generation-iphone-may-have-5+megapixel-camera-sources-claim

Digitimes' patchy sources are claiming that OmniVision Technologies—the current manufacturers of the iPhone 3GS' 3.2-megapixel CMOS image sensor—has won a new contract with Apple to provide the Cupertino company with new sensors for the next-generation 2010 iPhone.

They claim that the new CMOS image sensors are 5 megapixels. OmniVision Technologies say the orders will increase too, from 20-21 million estimated this year, to 40 to 45 million CMOS for the 2010. [Digitimes]




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Multitouch ASUS Eee Pad Tablet With Tegra Chip On Sale in March? [Tablets]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Fthg_mQYo9E/multitouch-asus-eee-pad-tablet-with-tegra-chip-on-sale-in-march

That Eee Pad we heard about earlier in the month has just been given another rinse through the gossip washing machine, with details about a multitouch, Tegra chipped 4 - 7-inch model breaking cover in March.

It seems like every man and his dog is using NVIDIA's new Tegra chip, with Notion Ink and ICD's tablets being just two we've seen recently. The German site NetbookNews has been tipped off on a March launch for the multitouch tablet, which will be either 4-inches or 7-inches in size (or potentially offered as two different models), and will have either 720p or 1080p resolution. It's presumed to be running Android 2.0, or a variant of it anyway, which ASUS should've got around to much earlier than now, as rumors of a smartbook or Android phone have been flying around since last year.

The leak isn't exactly solid, as you can see, but for anyone holding out for an affordable tablet next year, it's a sliver of hope to cling onto. [NetbookNews via Electronista]




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