Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on April 25, 2007 by CyberNet.

Dell has taken a huge step in the world of notebook computers…they added a solid state drive (SSD) to the list of hard drive choices available on select notebook models. The two models that received the option are the Latitude D420 and the D620. It is important to note that both of those laptops are high priced and targeted for businesses, not for consumers.

Right now the only solid state drive option available is a 1.8–inch 32GB from SanDisk. That doesn’t sound like much since you can get a 160GB+ hard drive put into most notebook computers at a much lower cost, but if you don’t need all of the extra hard drive space then this might be perfect for you. Well, that is if you can get over the $549 price tag, which should be a little lower if you’re just upgrading the hard drive on a new system you’re building (as pictured above).

Solid state drives are definitely what the future has in store for us. Unlike a traditional hard drive, they have no mechanical parts to spin which makes makes the SSD perform better and also more reliable. Here is what Dell has to say about adding the solid state drives:

Engineering tests show that the SSD has an operating shock tolerance of up to 1,300 Gs, which is twice the rating of mechanical drives. In fact, during extreme impact testing the surrounding notebook hardware breaks before the drive. In addition, the drives are predicted to reduce the probability of failure by three-and-one-half times compared to standard mechanical drives.
…
The new drives can also increase system performance by up to 23 percent and decreases boot time by up to 34 percent compared to traditional HDDs available with the Latitude D420 and D620 ATG.

A few months ago I made a comparison between the solid state drives and traditional hard disk drives to demonstrate the differences. The article also included a video so that you could see the decreased boot time from using a SSD in a notebook computer. There is no doubt that these drives will continue to increase in size and decrease in cost, but hopefully that time comes soon rather than later because I would love to have one of these!

I looked around the Dell store and didn’t see them selling these separately, yet. Since these drives can easily replace your existing hard drive I am sure that Dell will begin selling them shortly by themselves.

Dell Press Release

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This article was written on January 09, 2007 by CyberNet.

It’s turning into a big week for mobile phone devices, especially with the announcement of iPhone. But, that’s not all that’s going on in the land of mobile phones. Samsung has announced a cooperation with Google and Yahoo to distribute their services on mobile phones.  This comes as no surprise, with both Google and Yahoo pushing their way into the mobile market. This is a separate deal that both Yahoo and Google will benefit from.

In cooperation with Yahoo, Samsung will pre-load Yahoo services including Yahoo Go for Mobile 2.0, Yahoo oneSearch, and Yahoo Messenger.  The Samsung SGH-E570 already has launched with Yahoo search already on it.  Yahoo oneSearch will go live globally during the first quarter of this year.

Google has also gotten in with Samsung to offer pre-loaded services.  This new cooperation will allow users to access Google products and services from Samsung phones worldwide.  You’ll be able to search for information, find locations, and manage your email. This will come early in 2007 with Google search, Google Maps for Mobile, and Gmail for mobile devices all ready to go.

The first handset to offer these Google services will be the Samsung Ultra Edition 13.8 (SGH-Z720) and will include:

• 3 megapixel camera
• Mp3 player
• Bluetooth connectivity
• HSDPA ready

The director of wireless products and strategy for Google, Deep Nishar says, “Google is dedicated to providing users around the world with easier access information and services when they are mobile. Working with an industry leader like Samsung is a great way to accomplish that.”

This is good news for all parties, and I’m sure we can expect to see further cooperations with other phone manufacturer’s in the future.

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This article was written on September 24, 2007 by CyberNet.

While eBay isn’t the best place to buy everything, it’s not a bad place to purchase a used computer. There are some risks involved, but in general, the majority of transactions on eBay will be trouble-free if you know what you’re doing. Here are a few helpful tips for buying a used computer on eBay that will give you a great eBay experience.

1. Know what you’re looking for and do your homework! I can’t tell you enough how important it is to research the computers you might be interested in, read reviews, and know exactly what it is you want before you go browsing eBay for a computer. You’ll also need to determine whether a desktop or laptop is best for your needs.
2. Determine the price you’d like to get the computer for and decide right then and there that even if the auction is nearing the end and it’s gone out of your price range, that you won’t give in and bid higher than you wanted to. It’s easy to get caught-up in the excitement of auctions and you could end up spending more than what the computer is even worth. Sellers know this which is why often times, they’re more willing to put an item up for sale as an auction versus buy-it-now.
3. Compare the costs of buying used versus new. Often times you can buy a new computer for nearly the same price as some of the used computers selling on eBay. Determine if buying used is worth it.
4. Read the description. Actually read it from top to bottom.  Look for an extremely detailed description of the product. Some of the details that should be included: Are there any scratches, blemishes, or cracks?  Is the battery still working? How long does the battery last? Are there any dead pixels? How often was it used? What accessories are included? What software will be installed on it including the operating system?
5. Check for warranty information. Is there a warranty, and more importantly, is the warranty transferable? Alienware is one example of a company that does not allow users to transfer a warranty to a new user.
6. Ask questions – Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If the seller is reliable, they’ll answer you promptly and thoroughly .
7. Shipping – How will the computer be shipped and what will it cost? Some sellers may charge a hefty shipping charge, beware!
8. Watch out for scams – they happen.  If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. PayPal is your best bet for a secure transaction.  If a seller asks you to wire the funds or even send cash, it’s a scam!
9. Look for clear pictures that show any blemishes the computer may have. This is important! Those who are trying to scam you will usually only show a manufacturers picture. If the seller lists in the description that there are cosmetic imperfections, there should be clear pictures of them so that there’s no question about the condition of the computer that you’ll be receiving.
10. Feedback – check to see what kind of feedback the seller has.  Were there any major complaints from previous buyers? What kinds of items has the buyer sold in the past?

Once you feel confident that you know how to buy a computer on eBay, go ahead and check-out what sellers have to offer at http://computers.ebay.com. Good luck!

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If you’re not sold on the iPad and are tired of waiting for tablets from other PC makers to show up, try getting your hands dirty with a tablet you can build on your own.

Liquidware, an open source hardware company, is selling a $400 tablet starter kit. The DIY tablet targets developers who want to create a tablet of their dreams or write specialized software applications.

“The Beagle tablet is a portable modular open source handheld computer,” says Justin Huynh, director of product development at Liquidware. “It’s all about customizability and embedded development.”

The tablet kit contains a 4.3-inch OLED touchscreen that mounts directly on a BeagleBoard. The BeagleBoard is a single board computer from Texas Instruments that comes with a 1-GHz processor. There’s also a battery module and a 4-GB pre-formatted SD card to boot Angstrom Linux. But users can also run the Android operating system on it, says Huynh.

“Everything is modular and snaps on or mounts directly on a board so you have a very compact tablet-like device,” he says.

Since Apple iPad’s debut in April, tablets’ popularity has surged. Apple sold 2 million iPads in just 60 days of the product’s launch. That has left other companies scrambling to introduce tablets of their own. Both Samsung and Research In Motion have tablets in development. In the U.K., Dell has already introduced its first tablet called Streak, a 5-inch PSP-sized device that can also make phone calls.

But those gadgets have little appeal for tinkerers, says Huynh.

“With the iPad, you would have a hard time hacking it to read from a specialized sensor such as a temperature sensor or add your own custom hardware,” he says. “The Beagle tablet is all about innovation.”

Since the Beagle tablet doesn’t have any storage beyond the SD card, it is extremely lightweight, weighing just about 8 ounces. Users can increase the size of the SD card or plug in an external hard drive or a solid-state disk through the on-board USB port.

The battery life of the Beagle tablet can vary from three hours to six hours depending on the application, says Hyunh.

The Beagle tablet is a lot of work since you would have to load everything from an OS to different applications. But once you get it going, it could be a better conversation starter than the iPad.

See Also:

• BeagleBoard Gives New Power to Open Source Gadgets
• Build It. Share It. Profit. Can Open Source Hardware Work?
• Open Source Hardware Hackers Start P2P Bank
• Open Source Hardware Project RepRap Creates its First Circuit
• Hardware Hackers Create a Modular Motherboard

Photo: Liquidware

The Onkyo DX1007A5B notebook is why I flew 7,800 miles to attend Computex. It doesn’t feature the fastest processor or break new ground in terms of the platform. And to be honest, I didn’t even know Onkyo made PCs until I saw this system in the Microsoft booth. But this is exactly what I expected to find at the show, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Hardware-wise, the system is nothing special: AMD Athlon Neo CPU, 4GB of RAM, 320GB HD, and Windows 7 Home Edition. But the cool thing is the displays, plural. Two 10.2-inch displays are mounted horizontally, so you can extend your desktop horizontally. Since that would be kind of awkward to carry, they collapse down into a standard form factor for travel.

But wait, there’s more! Twist the screen around, and the system works as a tablet. Albeit without a touchscreen, but still pretty neat.

Practical? Probably not. But you got to love the effort. Check out the video to see it in action and tell me you don’t agree.