Windows 7 will be ready a bit early, according to an executive at the world’s third-largest PC maker, Acer.
Acer Z5600 all-in-one desktop
(Credit: Acer)
On Thursday Acer UK marketing director Bobby Watkins told tech blog Pocket-lint.com to expect the new operating system by fall:
“23rd October is …
Ready for some totally prototypical corporate non-answers regarding the alleged release of Android 1.5 on T-Mobile USA’s G1s? Good. Here you go:
“T-Mobile USA will confirm details of Android 1.5 availability for our T-Mobile G1 customers in the near future.”
Doesn’t mean much to us — and it’s hard to tell from that alone whether 1.5’s actually begun over-the-air distribution — but at any rate, it seems like they’re not ready to talk about it yet. Don’t keep us waiting long, guys.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds
T-Mobile neither confirms nor denies Android 1.5 availability for G1 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
(Credit: Spantax)Certain cars feature such atrocious designs that they become automotive legends. Think cars such as the AMC Pacer and Pontiac Aztek. In the last year, we’ve seen quirky designs that may reach such legendary status from the vaunted brands BMW, Acura, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin. Some …
Originally posted at The Car Tech blog
Apple could be getting ready to cut prices on iMacs and MacBooks, according to a report.
Does Apple really have MacBook pricing cuts in mind?
(Credit: CNET)
AppleInsider is reporting that Apple plans to introduce less-expensive versions of its two most popular Macs at some point over the next several months. It’s not clear how much of a cut Apple has in mind, or whether it plans to offer more value at current prices, but Apple has apparently decided that it wants to hedge its bets against a proliferation of cheap Netbooks over the last year or so, according to the report.
Mac pricing has certainly been a big topic over the last several months, as Microsoft has aggressively pushed the notion of the Mac as an expensive bauble unfit for recessionary spending. Apple responded to those ads with its standard message that Macs are more capable than PCs, therefore PCs aren’t quite the bargain they appear to be.
This move, if it comes to pass, would therefore represent a change in Apple’s strategy of positioning the Mac as a premium experience. Apple did cut the price of the MacBook last year, keeping an older system around for $999 while introducing the new unibody MacBooks in October. The company also lowered the cost of acquiring certain features previously reserved for the high end of its notebook line, which to some extent has a similar effect to a price cut.
Times have changed since then. …
Originally posted at News – Apple
Last week I provided a few basic green upgrades that can help you save money. This time around it’s all about tech that will save money and potentially increase the value of your home.
Saving Energy
In the previous Prof. Dealzmodo article, I talked about upgrades like switching to CFLs and investigating options for eliminating wasteful standby power like eco-oriented powerstrips. These kinds of upgrades are affordable on most budgets—real no-brainers. However, if you want to go the extra mile and make upgrades that could increase the value of your home, here are some products to consider:
• Solar Power: Okay, let’s get right to it. When people think “green,” they think of solar panels. But according to the most recent data compiled by the Energy Information Administration, the average US home uses somewhere around 30 kilowatthours (kWh) of electricity per day. That translates into $1500 to $2000 a year on electricity bills. Generally, a 1kWh (1000 watt) system is recommended for every 1000 square feet of floor space (depending on where you live) and you can expect to pay around $8 to $10 per watt installed. Throw in an inverter or two to covert the sun’s DC power into AC and a battery bank and you are talking $20000 or more for a complete system.
So it seems that if you don’t live in a home for 20 years or more, you will not see a return on this investment. However, there is a strong chance that your local government and utility companies will offer incentives like tax breaks, discounts or up-front cash rebates to subsidize the cost of your system, provided your homeowners association approves of your plans.
As CNN points out, Texas-based Austin energy currently provides rebates of $3.75 per watt—so right away you could probably shave nearly $4000 off of the $10000 price tag of a 1kWH system. Texas also offers a tax exemption “of the amount of the appraised property value that arises from the installation or construction of a solar or wind-powered energy device.”
On top of that the Federal Government offers substantial tax credits for installing photovoltaic systems. As far as home values are concerned, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that the value of a home rises $20 for every $1 in reduced monthly electricity bills.
Obviously, the effectiveness of a photovoltaic system depends on a number of factors like the amount of sunlight your location receives and the position of the panels in relationship to the position of the sun in the sky. But when you add up all of the possible incentives, and you figure out just how sunny it is where you live, the expense looks like it might be worth it.
• Wind Turbines: Harnessing wind power is often a great way to supplement an existing solar array and can generate a surprising amount of power if you live in a suitable climate. A small residential turbine rated between 5kWh and 15kWh generally costs somewhere between $6000 and $22000 installed. Again, there are local and federal incentives that can help to cut costs and recoup your expenses faster. The downside is that if you don’t live in a very windy area, or can’t get your neighbors to permit you to reach the height required to get a turbine really going, it’s a non-option.
• Energy Star Appliances: This was mentioned in last week’s article but it bears repeating. These devices use 10% to 50% less energy than their power-sucking counterparts, and you don’t have to ask your homeowners association permission to install them (for the most part). Do a little math, and you find that the premium price of these appliances will be paid back in good time—plus the energy savings will be attractive to buyers if appliances are part of the deal when you eventually sell your house.
• Greenswitches: If you want a simple way to reduce the power consumption in your home, check out a company called GreenSwitch. By quickly re-wiring your home with single-control outlets, each outlet can be designated as green or standard as needed. All you need to do is flick a single switch and all of the electronics in the home that run on standby power—and plugged into green outlets—are turned off. A system like this can save 8% to 10% a year in energy bills and “costs between $500 and $1000 for an average home.” That means it’s paid off in three to five years. If the installation prices get cheaper, it will be a pretty fast money-saver.
• Argon-Filled Windows: Most double-paned windows are vacuum sealed, so there’s nothing between them at all. But windows filled instead with argon or krypton gas are said to help insulate the interior of a home better, and block UV rays. Prices of the units and the money saved vary of course, but some sources claim that the results are dramatic. Finehomebuilding.com has provided a handy guide for anyone looking for more information.
• Solar and Gas-Powered Tankless Hot-Water Systems: Solar power isn’t just for producing electricity. There are also systems that are devoted to producing hot water—a process that can generate as much as 25% of our utility bills. There are several different configurations involving one of three types of solar collectors and storage tanks. These systems can be either active systems with circulating pumps or passive systems without pumps. Setting up a basic system can run you around $7000 to $8000, but like traditional solar arrays, these installations are often subsidized by local utility companies and the federal government, and add value to a home. Keep in mind that in most cases a traditional water heater will be necessary to fill in the gaps from time to time because hot water cannot be stored indefinitely—or sold back to the utility company.
Speaking of more conventional water heaters, replacing your standard electric or gas heater with a tankless version can save as much as 50% on your hot water bill. The main point: If you’re not using hot water, it’s not using energy to keep water hot. The life expectancy is twice that of a conventional heater, it takes up a lot less space, and it produces hot water whenever you need it, with a near instant “recovery time”—no more having to deal with people hogging all the hot water by taking really long showers. Systems like this will cost over $1000 but, again, there are incentives in place. For example, if you purchase a tankless heater from Rinnai between Jan 1, 2009 and December 31st 2010 you will be eligible for a tax credit equal to 30% of the full purchase and installation price, up to $1500.
Saving Water
The water bill is another expense that can really bite you in the ass—especially if you live in arid climates or do a lot of yardwork. If you are looking to go beyond simple rain barrels, here are some wise investments for homeowners looking to reduce their water consumption:
• Low-Flow Toilets and Showerheads: Low-flow toilets have come a long way in recent years. Newer models can handle anything you and your butthole can dish out—all while using a modest 1.6 gallons per flush (about half of a standard toilet). Low-flow shower heads have also progressed to a point that they provide great water pressure with low consumption rates that range from 0.5 to 2.5 gallons per minute.
• Gray Water Systems: In a nutshell, a gray water system recycles the water used in showers, sinks and washing machines—but not your toilets—to irrigate your lawn. “Gray water” makes up as much as 80% of our residential wastewater—water we could be re-using to save money. A basic gray-water irrigation system can run as low as $500 to $2500 for an average home. Apparently, untreated water is fine for most irrigation needs, but there are also companies like Pontos out there that use a bioculture and UV light treatment to purify the water. It’s just for yard use, though—you’re not supposed to drink gray water.
• Efficient Irrigation Systems: I’m not a big lawn guy, but I am a big gadget guy, and speaking of yards, some of the lawn-watering systems out there these days are quite impressive. For example: Toro’s TIS-612 Intelli-Sense controller uses pre-programmed information about your landscaping and collects daily weather information via satellite to determine how much water a specific plant should get and when. Units range from 6 to 24 sprinklers, with prices falling between $320 to $1000. A subscription to the WeatherTRAK Everywhere Data Service will cost you a measly $48 per year in additional costs. That’s pretty affordable, but the kicker is that because the system is so customized, the makers claim you can save between 20% and 60% on your monthly water bills.
With all of the focus on reducing energy costs and dependence these days, green tech is poised to become one of the biggest draws in the housing market in the decades to come. You have to spend money to make money as they say, but government and utility company incentives combined with energy cost savings make many of these upgrades surprisingly doable and profitable over time. For information on the incentives available in your area, check out DSIRE.
Most importantly, if you’re pondering any kind of green upgrade, don’t spend a penny until you hear how many pennies are gonna come back your way. If the dealer is mum on the subject, tell him to take a hike, because these subsidies are real.
Prof. Dealzmodo is a regular section dedicated to helping budget-minded consumers learn how to shop smarter and get the best deals on their favorite gadgets. If you have any topics you would like to see covered, send your idea to tips@gizmodo.com, with “Professor Dealzmodo” in the subject line. [Image Credit: Florian Solar Products]
After yesterday’s downer show, we’re back and cheerier than ever. Even Jeff is in good spirits after the New Jersey Devils got stomped all over their home ice. We discover today that Wal-Mart really does rock, and not in a good way.
The lesson of today’s show is DO NOT BUY ELECTRONICS FROM WAL-MART, unless you’re a rock collector, in which case you’ll be thrilled, because apparently the company is literally selling Nintendo DS boxes filled with sediment.
We need to get THE BONCH, aka Bonnie Cha back on our show to talk about the Palm Pre. Actually, Palm is offering preproduction review units to Average Joes (and Josephines) in hopes of receiving “true life” feedback on the smartphone. Wilson seems to think that most consumers will frown on the smaller screen size, but we all have high hopes for the brand since this is definitely a last ditch effort in the smartphone market.
In exciting movie news, Jeff is superstoked to hear about a “Drop Dead Fred” remake starring Russel Brand, that quirky English dude that played the hippy beauhunk in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” His brand of piratey humor should do well as a young girl’s imaginary friend, right? Oh! We also reveal another popular movie sequel in the works, but you’ll have to listen to the show to get the full scoop.
Finally, we touch on the bloated cost of higher education and how NYU students are getting questionable phone calls about their financial aid. Apparently NYU financial advisers are individually calling students receiving significant amounts of financial aid and questioning their decisions to accept the money and attend the university. If I were still in school and someone called me about this, I’d probably just tell them to put the check in the mail and stop telling me what to do all the time.
(Credit: Mr. Maximus, you get the first 404 baby shirt!)Today’s CFTP is rather heartfelt. Thanks to everyone who called in, and we’d like to personally welcome
James Christopher Maximus to the world! You were born today, dude! Hopefully you’re reading this in the year 2021, when you’re old enough to fully grasp our jokes. We love your dad for breeding future listeners of The 404!
Per usual, don’t forget to check out our live VIDEOcast (man it feels good to write that) every morning at 11 a.m. ET. We have a ton of fun in the preshow and you get the inside scoop on how we prepare for the show. And please please please call and leave us a voicemail at 1-866-404-CNET (2638)!
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Originally posted at the 404
Liked that blurry photo of a new Palm webOS phone we saw earlier? Well how about some specs, a name, and a better look at this thing? Enter the device above, apparently dubbed the Palm Eos (codenamed Castle… where have we seen that before?), which it seems will be the company’s proper follow-up to the Centro — a quadband GSM / HSDPA phone notably rocking the 850 / 1900 AT&T and Rogers-friendly frequencies. The phone will supposedly be an astounding 10.6mm thin, will measure just 55mm x 111mm (about 2.1 by 4.3-inches), weigh 100 grams, and will tout a 2.63-inch, 320 x 400 capacitive display. Of course, the info we’ve got right now can’t be verified, and since there are a couple of minor question marks here (like barely rounded corners in the OS), you should take it all with a grain of salt… as usual. Needless to say, we’re working on getting more details (and some confirmation), so stay tuned!
Update: Oh boy — looks like we just got the full spec list. And yes, it’s definitely coming to AT&T (if it’s really coming).
Filed under: Cellphones
Palm Eos: super-thin, 3G, and headed to AT&T? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
It’s a time-honored formula: a sports sedan in the $50,000 range that can hit 60 mph in less than six seconds is a sweet spot for automakers. The BMW 5 Series, the Mercedes E Class, the Lexus GS430, and the Acura RL all play in this range, for example. But none of them are particularly green vehicles. Usually they struggle to average 20 miles per gallon, especially when a lot of city driving is involved.
If we’re talking about an all-electric car like the Tesla Model S, though, that changes things. And as we found out last night at a private company event held in NYC (pictured), the car really works–even if its scheduled production date, some two and a half years away, seems frustratingly remote.
Intel first developed the Classmate Convertible in an attempt to compete with One Laptop Per Child’s XO-1, an AMD-based notebook created for deployment in developing countries. Peewee PC today announced the launch of a self-titled notebook based on the Classmate, which makes the notebook available for commercial purchase.
At $599, it’s not cheap, so those who envision the Peewee as little more than a high-end toy should think twice about picking one up. That said, the computer, which is currently available for purchase from the company’s site, has some cool features, including a rugged case (for tiny, clumsy fingers), a touchscreen, convertible functionality, and customized Windows XP themes from companies such as Disney.
The notebook is based on Intel Atom and ships with 10 software titles and an a branded security suite.
[Via Make]
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Marco Tempest’s Augmented Reality card trick makes David Copperfield look positively ludditic originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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