May 2009

Sony VAIO Notebooks Star in Terminator Salvation

sony_vaio_uxSony VAIO notebooks seem to be the weapon of choice for heroes these days. In Terminator Salvation, John Conner (Christian Bale) and members of the Resistance rely on VAIO notebooks to fight Skynet.
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Travelers Want Power, Wi-Fi More Than Food

A new survey says that frequent travelers think Wi-Fi is more important than food at airports. The vast majority of frequent travelers carry both a smartphone and a notebook. The survey was sponsored by HP and American Airlines and details their most common frustrations with technology when traveling.

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Video Review

dell-inspiron_mini_10_m1Even though the Mini 10 has been out for a while now, it's still a significant contributor in the netbook market. Jason Dunn of Digital Home Thoughts takes a close look at the Mini 10 and runs through what he thinks are the pros and cons. In the end, however, Jason prefers his HP Mini1000. Check out a brief summary of his findings as well as the full 16-minute review after the jump.
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OCZ Announces Summit SSD Available

OCZ has announced a new addition to its SSD lineup with the Summit series. These drives come in 60GB, 120GB, and 250GB capacities. The Summit line boasts impressive read and write times of 220MB/s and 200MB/s respectively for the two larger capacity drives and 220MB/s read and 125MB/s write for the 60GB. Availability is limited, but I did find the 120GB listed at $380 from ecost. Not bad, considering how much performance you can get out of these SSDs these days. For the power conscious folks, the Summit uses a mere 2W at full power and 0.5W idle, which should lend to increased battery life over traditional spinning platters.

Easy Tech Tips for my Mom and Dad (and everyone else)

mom_dad_veniceAs someone who spends most of his waking hours attached to computers, I'm the guy in the family that everyone goes to for tech support and advice. My parents have been using computers for years, but like many others run into roadblocks on a regular basis. I've decided to start publishing my family and friend's computer questions, along with my answers from now on.

Acer Aspire One Updated and Upgraded With Two New Models

acer-aspire-one-ao571h-sapphire-blue-2One of the pioneers in the netbook space, Acer has finally released a replacement to its highly touted Aspire One netbook. With the new AO751h, Acer stuffed a large 1364x768 11.6" screen into the netbook and added a full-sized keyboard, both of which are welcomed improvements over the original's smaller keyboard and 8.9" screen. Even though the AO751h has a larger footprint than the original, it is in fact thinner.

Kingston Releases SSDNow M Series Bundle

ssdnow_m_bundle Kingston Technologies, well known for its digital storage solutions, announced a bundled kit utilizing Intel's X-25M SATA SSDs in 80 and 160GB capacities. The kit includes both a 2.5" external enclosure for use in notebook applications as well as a 3.5" drive bay mounting bracket for use in desktop applications. The Intel X-25M is capable of 250MB/s read and 70MB/s write speeds and is backed by a 3-year warranty with 24/7 tech support.

AT&T Expands 3G Netbook Program Nationwide

cing_logoAT&T's announced that it will beging selling Acer, Dell and Lenovo netbooks at its 2,200 retail locations and online statring this summer. The netbooks are are heavily subsidized by AT&T, but you do need to sign a two-year contract to get the discount.

Muzetto ‘Man Bags’ for Mobile Gear

muzetto_large_color_copper_mdWaterfield Deigns unveiled a new line of man bags for small notebooks and mobile devices. Made of distressed leather, these bags are targeted at stylish guys who have a little extra money to invest in a high-quality bag.

Survey: Workers Bringing Notebooks to Bed, Ignoring Spouses

According to a recent survey, workaholics are putting their notebooks ahead of their spouses in the bedroom. Of the survey respondents who work in bed, 57% are on their computers for between 2 and 6 hours per week in bed. Not surprisingly, the majority of their bed companions found their partners' gadget obsession "a very annoying habit". The survey found that 8% of people admitted that they spend more time on their mobile devices during the evening than talking to their partners.

Verizon MiFi – Looking Good for Mobile Pro

3543953920_19366ced88_mRob Bushway blogged about his first day with the Verizon MiFi router today at GottaBeMobile. The combo 3G card/WiFi router looks like it fits the bill for Rob's highly-mobile lifestyle. The MiFi seems like the perfect device for Rob, who uses a variety of mobile devices and always has a kid (or four) in tow. The MiFi router can be used to provide mobile broadband to up to five devices at a time.

Iomega Intros Slim eGo Portable Drives

ego-rubyred-ps-largeIomega introduced a new, slimmer lineup of eGo portable hard drives that offer a lot of protection. The new drives are less than a half-inch thick and weigh less than seven ounces. They come wrapped in anodized aluminum shells and can be safely dropped from a height of 51 inches.

Win a Trip to the NBA All-Star Game or to Celtic Games on Both Coasts

HP and Microsoft are teaming up with the NBA to promote the dv2 notebook. One lucky winner will win a trip to see the Boston Celtics play in Boston AND another game on the west coast. HP's also offering two trips to the 2010 NBA All Star Game in Dallas to readers of Notebooks.com and a handful of other blogs. All of these giveaways are part of Kevin Garnett's endorsement of the Pavilion dv2, HP's latest ultra-portable notebook.
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HP Voluntarily Recalls 70,000 Faulty Notebook Batteries

HP is issuing a voluntary recall on 70,000 outstanding batteries sold between August 2007 and March 2008 due to potential overheating problems. Reports to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission show there has been two instances of overheated batteries leading to property damage with no bodily injuries. HP notes that these battery issues are in no way related to the previous recalls and will replace the affected batteries at no charge. The batteries in question were sold both as part of the notebook package or as stand-alone replacement batteries for these particular devices:
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Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 Hands On

I spent part of yesterday afternoon playing with the Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2. Lenovo's second netbook looks a lot sleeker than the original S10 and has several welcome upgrades. The IdeaPad S10-2 will start at $349 and come in four colors. An integrated 3G modem is available for an extra $50. I posted more of my thoughts over at GottaBeMobile.com.