Archive for May, 2009
Microsoft’s Bing is Live
Bing, Microsoft’s new search engine, is live and ready for your queries. Like all search engines, Bing is supposed to make it easier to find what you’re looking for, but it is still under consturction and Microsoft has slapped a “Preview” label on it.
Gadget Stimulus Plan: BlackBerry Pearl 8100
When the economy is this bad, the first expenditure put on the back burner is usually technology devices. Here at notebooks.com and gottabemobile.com, we understand the importance of staying connected while on the go no matter what the circumstance. So as part of the Gadget Stimulus Plan we launched in April, we are offering up a red refurbished Blackberry Pearl 8100. This unlocked phone comes courtesy of geeks.com. Read on for contest entry information:
Dell’s Leaving Gaming to Alienware, Launches M17x
Dell’s been promoting two lines of gaming notebooks since it acquired Alienware. But things sure are changing with the introduction of the Alienware M17x. The Alienware M17x is the will be sold directly by Dell and the XPS line will no longer cater to gamers.
LaptopMag Pegs HP Mini 110 Best Consumer HP Netbook To Date
LaptopMag.com did a full review of the new Mini 110 and found that HP seems to have addressed some of the issues lacking in the Mini 1000 but not without compromise. The Mini 110 has a VGA port, matte antiglare screen, and three USB ports. But it’s slightly thicker and heavier than HP’s first consumer netbook.
Logo Design Contest: $2500, HP Mini Offered as Prizes
The company that helps HP and other companies give away gear on blogs (like this one) has a new name and is looking for a new logo. The company formerly known as Buzz Corps is needs some help designing a logo around its new name Ivy Worldwide. If you or someone you know is artistically inclined, visit this page for your chance to win $2,500 in cash. The second place winner will get to choose between an HP Mini 1000 and a Photosmart printer. The third place winner will get an Wacom Intuous4 pen tablet.
Visit IvyWorldwide.com for more info.
Microsoft Announces Bing Search Engine
Microsoft will release its new Bing search engine worldwide on June 3rd in an attempt to recapture some of the market share lost to Google. Bing offers a dynamic searching experience with each query having a customized refining of possible matches using an algorithm to offer several categories of search results. Your search results will be organized into different subcategories collectively called Guided Search depending on relevency to your original search terms. One of the things I dislike about the current search engines available is the sheer volume of irrelevent clutter interspersed within the results. Hopefully, Bing’s technology will offer a new solution to this problem, which will increase productivity and decrease time spent clicking on links that are otherwise useless to the original search query. TechCrunch has a write-up on first impressions using a pre-release version of Bing.
HP Mini 110 Video
HP’s put together a promo video of the Mini 110, its latest consumer netbook. The Mini 110 is available in three colors and starts at just $279. The video gives a clear look of the Mini 110′s design and an overview of some of its functionality.
Dell Releases Studio 14z Geared Towards Students
Dell announced the availability of the Studio 14z notebook aimed at providing students with a highly desirable notebook. Following industry trends, the Studio 14z is the thinnest and lightest Studio notebook to date. It features Intel’s latest Core 2 Duo processors, up to 5GB of RAM, 500GB HDD, a 720p or 900p 14″HD screen, and a 6-cell battery (with an 8-cell option). Acknowledging the next generation of students’ penchant for media consumption, the 14z also comes with an NVIDIA GeForce 9400 integrated graphics processor that is claimed to outperform many entry-level discrete graphics cards and 4-watt SRS 2.0 integrated speakers with separate tweeters. A 1.3MP webcam is also integrated with dual array microphones. Prices start at $649 and is available for purchase now.
Microsoft Surface Meets Mobile Computers (demo)
Rob Bushway’s put together a video demo of several multi-touch applications that will be part of Windows 7 Touch Pack. Some of the applications were first seen on the Microsoft Surface, an expensive table-sized computer.
Acer Aspire One AOD250 Reviewed
Acer updated its Aspire One line with the AOD150 not too long ago and now laptopmag.com has just reviewed the updated AOD250 we covered last week. The specs are pretty much standard run of the mill for netbooks but the AOD250 comes in at 0.3 inches thinner and over half a pound lighter than the AOD150. Unfortunately, the only thing that has really changed from the AOD150 to the AOD250 is the physical size and weight of the device. The AOD250 still uses Intel’s Atom N270 processor while its competitors have started to switch to the nominally faster N280 processor. Pricing is a definite strong point for the AOD250, starting with a $289 buy-in price for a 3-cell battery unit. 6-cell battery units cost $349 and offers roughly double the battery life (almost 6 hours run time). Check out the laptopmag.com review here.
