Hasta La Gadget!

The Rikomagic MK802 III Mini PC is the recipient of an early Christmas gift, considering how it has received a slight bump up in the specifications. Of course, this means that the Rikomagic MK802 III Mini PC remains an extremely small computer in terms of its physical proportions, sporting a USB port on one end with an HDMI adapter at the opposite end, while a Rockchip RK3066 dual-core processor is right smack in the middle. The new features thrown into the Rikomagic MK802 III Mini PC? We are looking at Bluetooth connectivity, an ESD circuit which is touted to deliver better stability, as well as relevant support for software applications which allow you to turn off the computer without having to unplug it. That’s a nice touch, it makes the whole thing feel more like a computer than a cheap electronic device.

At least you no longer need to pull the plug once you are done using them, which is a common feature found in dozens of these Android-powered Mini PCs that seem to roll off a production line somewhere in China. Other hardware specifications include a quad-core graphics processor, 1GB RAM, and 4GB to 8GB of internal storage which can be further augmented via a microSD memory card slot.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Hulu Plus Launches On Nintendo Wii U, AOC Borderless i2367fh 23-inch Monitor,

Researchers at the National Museum of Computing in the UK have restored a massive computer operated in the 1950s known as “The Witch,” and it’s now the world’s oldest working computer. A team of computer scientists has restored the computer to its former glory, and now it’s on display for the public to see.

The Witch was originally built in 1949 at the UK’s Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell in Oxfordshire. The computer weighs in at a whopping 2.75 tons, and it was designed to crunch calculations for nuclear scientists, so they didn’t have to use mechanical adding machines. However, it was soon replaced by newer and faster technology.

The old computer was put on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Birmingham from 1973 to 1997, where it was then dismantled and put in storage. However, researchers have recently dug it out of storage and restored the historical computer to working condition. The computer uses valves as its memory store, and it takes up to 10 seconds to multiply two numbers, but it regularly cranked out up to 80 hours of service in a typical week. A lot of the parts were covered in dust and needed cleaning, but the researchers say that they didn’t need to replace as many parts as they originally thought.

While The Witch was replaced by quicker and better technology, it continued to be used as a teaching resource. In fact, it was loaned to a different educational institution where it received its nickname, known as the Wolverhampton Instrument for Teaching Computing from Harwell — or WITCH. The computer will be on display at The National Museum of Computing in Buckinghamshire, UK starting today.

[via BBC News]

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Researchers bring back world’s oldest working computer is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft’s Windows 8 was released not too long ago with a brand new UI, but have you ever wondered what Microsoft’s design team did before finally arriving on that design that we see in our tablets and computers these days? Well in a UX Week 2012 presentation by Microsoft’s Jensen Harris, some of Windows 8’s earlier designs and mockups were revealed. According to Fast Company, Microsoft began working on Windows 8 mockups as early as 2010 which is only a year after Windows 7 hit the market and according to Jensen, the mockups were created in an attempt to unify the vision of all the designs on the Windows team as part of their “vision day”. In any case if you were curious about how some of the earlier mockups of Windows 8 looked like, you can check out some of it in the gallery below. Rather interestingly it seems that Microsoft did not deviate too far from 2010 to 2012 as far as the design was concerned.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Microsoft’s Data Sense Revealed: It’s a, Uh, Map of Wifi Hotspots, What If Windows 8 Was Mounted Like The Original Surface?,

You know what they say about us humans – we are a truly creative tour de force on this side of the galaxy, and when passion and genius meets, we normally end up with something out of the ordinary. Case in point, a nostalgic modder decided that having a Macintosh Portable lying around is not going to do the machine any good, which is why he decided to turn Apple’s very first laptop to run on OS X, dubbing it as “a great café computer” in the same process. Of course, the software is not the only thing that has changed, since underneath the clean and sterile looking white plastic lies the innards of a Toshiba NB100 netbook which heroically “sacrificed” itself in the pursuit of perfection.

I’m just being a little bit dramatic here – no one in their right mind would want to shed a tear for the Toshiba NB100 netbook – after all, this is more or less a dead market despite looking all too promising just a few years ago (before the tablet world really took off, of course). Its keyboard has been rewired via a USB controller, while the ball mouse has been converted to an optical mouse. Wi-Fi and USB connectivity have also been thrown into the mix for your added portable computing pleasure.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Vintage Macintosh Portable hacked and modded to run OS X Lion, Skittles Sorting Machine helps you eat only a particular color,

Not too long ago it was rumored that due to the apparent issues that occurred during the manufacturing process of Apple’s new iMacs, shipments of the product were said to be delayed until 2013. It seems like quite a bummer for would-be customers who are eager to get their hands on the redesigned iMacs. Well now it seems that the folks at 9to5 Mac got tipped off that the new iMacs won’t be delayed to 2013 and will still be on track for a November-December release. According to their source, Apple has begun shipping iMacs to its distribution hubs across the US and other countries around the world and they are expected to be made available towards the end of November. However it should be noted that the November availability is for the 21.5” models – for those who prefer the 27” iMacs, 9to5 Mac’s sources have indicated that they will be available in December although they should be up for pre-order around the same time the 21.5” models are available. Either way we’ll keep our eyes peeled for any updates, so check back with us at a later date for the details.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: What is Apple’s Fusion Drive?, New iMac is razor thin, impressive!,