Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on January 17, 2007 by CyberNet.

With lots of new gadgets being revealed at CES, Dell decided to step away from all of the gadgets (although they did unveil some new products) and announce plans for an online data migration and backup service.  They’re planning for this service to be available later this year in the United States, so what’s it all about?

Dell is planning to enable customers to securely transfer documents, programs, drivers, settings, and other information using a broadband connection, to a secure data-storage portal. With all of their important documents and programs stored, consumers would be able to have them pre-installed by Dell during the manufacturing process.

This would be really useful when you’re getting a new computer because you wouldn’t have to worry about how you’re going to get everything transferred over. You could just back up online and when you got your new PC, you’d be ready to go. Mr. Dell had this to say about it:

“Consumers have repeatedly told us they’d like this type of assistance and we’re answering the call. Dell is uniquely positioned to offer these personalized services because of our direct model — nobody else can do this the way we can”

There are of course a few issues that come to mind like security.  Will data be encrypted that is uploaded? Your privacy is also at risk with others potentially able to view your files. I don’t think you’d want other people viewing your sensitive data. And finally, there’s no word whether or not there will be a charge for this service, and if there is, how much it will be.

It’s always such a hassle to move files from one computer to another, I think this is a great idea and something a lot of people would appreciate. If only other companies took this into consideration.

News Source: GigaOM

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This article was written on January 11, 2007 by CyberNet.

One Laptop Per Child, also abbreviated and known as OLPC could possibly be going retail in 2008.  BBC originally posted that they had confirmation the OLPC would be selling to Western Consumers in 2008.  They quickly retracted that and came back saying that there is a possibility that the OLPC organization will be selling these machines to the public.

The rumored idea is that retail consumers would buy two, and get one– with one of the machines going to the developing world.  Already, five million machines are slated to be delivered over the Summer to countries like Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan, and Thailand.  They were designed to be low cost, durable, and simple to use, and so far they have proved to be all of those.  Originally, the organization was aiming at $100 per machine, but the current cost is around $150, still an amazing price.

Built with education in mind, they include built-in wireless networking and video conferencing so that groups of children would be able to work together.  Michalis Blestsas, Chief Connectivity Officer of the project says, “I’d like to make sure that kids all around the world start to communicate. It will be a very interesting experiment to see what will happen when we deploy a million laptops in Brazil and a million laptops in Namibia.”

eBay has also been named with the recent talk, mentioned as a possible method of purchasing.  The goal would be to connect the buyer of the laptop with the child in the developing world who received the machine.  I’d assume that when you purchased the laptop, eBay would then be responsible for shipping the computer to the receiver in the developing country.

Obviously, this is an important part of the OLPC business plan, particularly if they get eBay involved.  By selling in the retail market, they’ll need to be looking at ways to do this without adding cost.  I think eBay sounds like a great route to take as a possible method of purchasing.

The OLPC has always been a project for developing countries, and I think it’s great to give the gift of education to children who have never had the chance to use a computer, as a tool for growth and learning. At the same time, only because I have seen from first-hand experience, I wonder why there aren’t similar programs for developed countries. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of technology available to kids for the purpose of education, however there’s a gap, and it’s not even across the board.  There are still plenty of kids in the U.S. (and I’m sure elsewhere) who haven’t ever used a computer, and that to me, is something that needs to be addressed. 

Thanks for the tip Jack of all Trades!

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We love DIY projects here at Lifehacker. Whether we’re building computers, backyard projects, or turning office supplies into artillery, we’re always tinkering. Today we’re taking a peek at the most popular DIY projects of 2009.

Create Your Own Sun Jar: Lifehacker Edition

Inspired by a tutorial we posted last year, we decided to make our own DIY sun jars. The trendy summer time lighting accessory retails for $30+ but we were able to make ours for around $10 each. The sun jars proved to be our most popular non-computer DIY of the entire year and readers shared their own creations with us.

The First-Timer’s Guide to Building a Computer from Scratch

Building your own computer is a great way to get exactly what you want, the way you want it, without being constrained by the limits and high-prices of mass produced computers. We showed you how to build a computer from start to finish and have fun doing it.

Turn a Sharpie into a Liquid Fueled Rocket

What’s standing between you and some office mayhem? Certainly not a lack of Sharpie markers and keyboard dusting spray. Combine the two with this fun DIY project and you’ve got one of the most awesome pieces of office-machinery we’ve ever featured.

Properly Erase Your Physical Media

You need to be properly erasing your physical media: all the time, every time. Our guide will show you how to get the job done and done right whether you use software to scrub your disks or you send them to the great data mine in the sky with a 21-gun salute.

Turn an Old Laptop into a Wall-Mounted Computer

Why settle for a digital picture frame when, in the same wall space, you could mount an entirely functional computer/slideshow player/TV tuner? One Lifehacker reader turned an old laptop into a super-charged digital frame.

$8 DIY Aluminum Laptop Stand

We’ve always been keen on DIY laptop stands, but reader Aaron Kravitz—inspired by an attractive $50 stand—went above and beyond, creating one of the most attractive DIY laptop stands we’ve featured to date.

Build an IKEA NAS On the Cheap

If the Hive Five on best home server software got you excited about setting up a home server but you’re not keen on another unsightly PC in your home, check out this DIY IKEA NAS.

Build a DIY Portable Air Conditioner

We’ve shown you how to make an air conditioner (even for as low as $30), but what if you wanted something you can put in your car and take with you? While it’s no substitute for a fully-charged and factory-fresh AC system, it’ll keep you cool.

Turn a Bookshelf into a Secret Passage

Who hasn’t dreamed of having a mystery-story-style secret passageway? While a trick bookshelf is pretty awesome in itself, this secret passage hides a home office with clever style. One industrious Lifehacker reader and his girlfriend had grown tired of seeing their office from their living space, so they hid it behind a wall of books.

Wire Your House with Ethernet Cable

You’ve ripped a movie on your laptop, and now want it on that fancy new home theater PC next to your TV. If you’ve got the time, wiring your house with Cat-5e cable could make transfer times a distant memory.

Rain Gutters as Cable Management Tools

We’re all about creative cable management here at Lifehacker, so we were instantly drawn to reader Seandavid010‘s rain-gutter cable management setup. He was awesome enough to send detailed photos and step by step instructions to help other readers recreate his setup.

Build Your Own DTV Antenna

The lights went out on analog television this year and we were there with a guide to help you build a great DIY antenna for boosting your reception and getting that crisp digital picture you crave.

DIY Laptop Rack Hack Turns Your Monitor into an iMac

Lifehacker reader Matt Lumpkin saw our monitor stand from door stoppers post and thought we might like his laptop rack hack as another space-saving desktop solution for laptop-lovers. He was right.

Build Your Own Pizza Oven

Suppose you were inspired by the cheap DIY home pizza oven—but weren’t so sure your home insurance would cover oven modifications. It’s time to build a safer, more eye-pleasing oven, and we’ve got a thorough guide.

Crack a Master Combination Padlock Redux

Two years ago we highlighted how to crack a Master combination padlock for those of you who may have lost the combination to your bulletproof lock; now designer Mark Campos has turned the tried-and-true instructions into an easier-to-follow visual guide.

DIY Invisible Floating Bookshelves

We’ve covered the invisible floating bookshelf once or twice before, but if you liked the idea but weren’t keen on ruining a book in the process, weblog May December Home’s got you covered.

DIY Inverted Bookshelf

Instead of storing your books upright on top of the shelf, the inverted bookshelf holds all of your books in place using elastic webbing so you can hang them below the shelf—all the while allowing you to still take them out and put them back on as needed.

Build an Under-the-Cabinet Kitchen PC from an Old Laptop

Inspired by our guide to giving an old laptop new life with cheap or free projects, Lifehacker reader Brian turned his aging Dell laptop into an incredible under-the-cabinet kitchen PC.

Turn Storage Containers into Self Watering Tomato Planters

If you’d like to have delicious home-grown tomatoes but lack a garden to grow them in, you’ll definitely want to check out this ingenious and inexpensive self-watering system.

Deter Thieves by Uglifying Your Camera

A few years ago, blogger Jimmie Rodgers’s camera was stolen while volunteering in an impoverished Brazilian community, so he did what any sane person would do: He bought a new camera and made it ugly. With his uglified camera, Rodgers was able to snap pictures freely during the rest of his trip without worrying too much that his ostensibly crappy camera would end up stolen.

DIY TV or Monitor Stand from Door Stoppers

Nothing adds space to a desk or home theater setup like a simple monitor or TV stand, and weblog IKEA Hacker details how to build your own stand on-the-cheap with a few inexpensive items from IKEA.

Repurpose Your Analog Television

You don’t need to run out and buy a new TV because of the DTV switchover. If you did anyways, Make Magazine has put together quite a guide to giving old TVs new life.

Use Ping-Pong Balls to Create Diffused Party Lights

If you need some cheap and novel ambient lighting for your next party, you’re only a box of ping-pong balls and a string of lights away from solving your lighting worries.

Build a Custom-Made BoxeeBox

DeviceGuru blogger Rick Lehrbaum, inspired by the cheaper set-top boxes, made his own higher-powered “BoxeeBox” for the free, open-source media center. He posted all the parts, the how-to details, and lots of pictures.

Build a Sturdy Cardboard Laptop Stand

You already shelled out your hard earned cash for a swanky laptop, why drop more cash on an overpriced laptop stand? Cardboard alone can do the trick, as detailed in this step-by-step tutorial.

Install Snow Leopard on Your Hackintosh PC, No Hacking Required

Earlier this year we put together a wildly popular guide to building a Hackintosh with Snow Leopard, start to finish, and then followed it up with an even easier guide to install Snow Leopard on your Hackintosh PC, no hacking required. Computers + DIY is all sorts of geeky fun waiting to happen.

Have a favorite DIY from 2009 that wasn’t highlighted here? Sound off in the comments with a link to your favorite project. Want to see more popular DIY guides courtesy of the ghost of Lifehacker past? Check out our huge DIY guide roundup from 2008.

This article was written on July 16, 2007 by CyberNet.

Mobile computers continue to drop in cost, and as a result we get smaller PC’s that offer more bang for the buck. The low-cost mobile computer craze all started with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) who’s goal was to create a computing device that could be sold for $100 each to developing countries. As word began to spread about how cheap this was going to be people around the world questioned whether a consumer-oriented model would be sold in retail stores.

The last I heard the OLPC is costing around $170 to manufacture which is well above their target cost. Other companies are stepping up to fill the consumer void left by the OLPC, and one of the first is ASUS. They have started to promote a $199 device called the Eee PC (pictured to the right) that will set the ultra-mobile PC market on fire.

The Eee PC will offer a few different configuration options, some of which inflate the price depending on your choice:

Display: 7"
CPU & Chipset: Intel mobile CPU & chipset (900MHz Intel Dothan)
OS: Linux/ Microsoft Windows XP compatible
Communication: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet; 56K modem
WLAN: WiFi 802.11b/g
Graphic: Intel UMA
Memory: 512MB, DDR2-400
Storage: 4/ 8/ 16GB Flash
Webcam: 300K pixel video camera
Audio: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC; Built-in stereo speaker; Built-in microphone
Battery Life: 3hrs (4 cells: 5200mAh, 2S2P)
Dimension & Weight: 22.5 x 16.5 x 2.1~3.5cm, 0.89kg (1.96lbs)

Word is that the Eee PC with the 4GB hard drive will cost $199 and the 8GB drive will be $299, but I didn’t see any mention regarding the cost on the 16GB drive. Another way they were able to keep the cost down (besides offering small Flash storage drives) is to use Linux as the default operating system. It is said that the computer works fine with Windows XP, although that would probably take up more precious storage space than it would be worth.

HotHardware was able to get their hands on the Eee PC for a little bit to play with and snap some photos. There are two different versions of Linux that can be used: one for novice users and one for experienced users. The one for Novice users create tabs for doing things like Internet, Work, Playing, and Settings while the advanced interface is full-blown Linux including a Start Menu and Desktop. Screenshots of this are at the bottom of the post.

All-in-all I think this will be an awesome device, and from the current specs I like it better than the Palm Foleo. It is supposed to be available later this year, and if it hits the shelves in time for the holidays I’m sure they could meet their sales goal of 200,000 units!

Alright here are some screenshots of the novice and advanced interface:

Thanks to Mohan for the tip!

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

Dell wasn’t left out of the loop today because they also unveiled a few new products. One thing that really shocked me is that they are now offering a liquid-cooled PC: XPS 710 H2C and this is how it will work…

The XPS 710 H₂C is Dell’s first liquid-cooled desktop. It utilizes a two-stage cooling process that utilizes a liquid-to-air heat exchanger to remove much of the heat from the processor. From there, a fluid chiller removes more of the processor heat with ceramic-based thermoelectric cooling (TEC) modules. This cooling system allows Dell to ship the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processor overclocked to 3.2GHz.

This beast won’t be for the average computer user but it sure throws another alternative in the mix for those gamers looking for a powerful PC. It currently isn’t being sold on their site so exact pricing isn’t known, but it sports Intel’s quad core processor and a liquid cooling system so I would bet that it will inch over the existing $4,700 pricetag for the current model.

Dell also decided to throw in some new monitors that we haven’t seen before. One of them is the 27″ monster pictured below that is all prettied up with a silver frame (opposed to the black one that Dell monitors typically come with). The monitor that I would really like to welcome to the bunch, however, is the 22″ widescreen that sports a resolution of 1680 x 1050! The best part about that monitor is that it will only set you back $329 (currently on sale for $296). That price puts it slightly below what a lot of other manufacturer’s are offering 22″ monitors for, and you might be able to scrape up an applicable coupon to knock the price down even further!

I’m not sure what we’ll see coming from Dell next, but I am pleased to see that they let Alienware remain their own entity even after acquiring them early last year. Dell’s gaming machines might be top-of-the-line, but the fact of the matter is that they aren’t known for building PC’s that are as “gamer-friendly” as Alienware’s offerings. I wonder how many people even fork out $4,700 for a desktop computer from Dell?

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