NanOsNotes

Asus Transformer, Quick update

2011-05-04T23:28:00.000-07:00

Having used the Transformer for just over a day now I have to say that I like it, very much.

First impressions:
Not so slippery in the hands as the Acer Iconia.
Screen doesn't seem quite as bright but has fuller colors and wider viewing angles.
The Acer has the edge on screen touch sensitivity, but only just.
No at-will turning on like the Acer (which might be a fault of the individual unit rather than the Iconia as a whole), although I have noticed that a second press of the on/off switch is sometimes needed to urge the Transformer back to life. I also had that with the Iconia but in that case, the unit was registering the 'on' command but just taking a few seconds to react so that a second press was called for - just to have the unit turn on and off a few times until I regained my patience. That shouldn't happen with a tablet and certainly didn't with the Zoom or iPad.
Through the 'Settings', the security locked can be manipulated at will, including always off, which is how I keep mine.

Asus have not placed anything intrusive over the Honeycomb OS which I prefer and the 'Waveshare' UI operates just like another app and not an over-the-top add on to Android.
Waveshare includes MyNet, MyLibrary and MyCloud which allows syncing your data with the Asus servers (free for the first year - how much from thereon?), connection to other PC's (a dream to set up and operate) and a place to access all your media including a few radio stations which one can listen too. There's a lot to it but I won't go into that here as it has been covered excellently elsewhere.

The problem with browsers advertising themselves as Mobile instead of Desktop has been dealt with within the browser's settings allowing a "User Agent String" choice of 'Tablet', 'Desktop' or 'Mobile' settings to be selected thus obviating the need to go the "about:debug" route after each reboot.

Asus also have the stock Android keyboard or one can opt for the Asus keyboard. It claims that a sort of 'swype' is available on their k'brd but I have yet to get it to work.
At this time, I am using the Android version but I sure do miss the Swype offering - it should be along some day . . .
The Transformer is 20 grams lighter (get with the metric program, America) than the Acer and feels better in the hands. Buttons are not intrusive nor accidently hit; I found this a problem with the Xoom.
Charging is simple and it will charge through USB connection to a PC although it has to be on to do this (strange)
Most have commented on the fullness of the speakers; I am not an audio buff but find them adequate, not super although I have not connected them to an external source as yet.

The notification bar carries an image of an SD card when installed and its files can instantly be brought up with a touch.
The Asus live wallpaper of the water with lumps of ice floating about was not very good so don't bust a gut downloading it (it did not come standard on my unit).
I haven't had time to try out a lot of the Waveshare features but they do look promising; same for the cameras and video and HDMI.

All in all, I am pleased with the Transformer and it looks like a keeper. Now where is that keyboard docking accessory?

Nanos.

More changes in gear

2011-05-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

So here is an update:

The B&N is working well for me and I am using it to read my Kindle books sometimes.

The Dell was a little slow for my PC requirement and it had a few annoying quirks, not least of which was that there was no Win7 backup disc or drive partition. On a netbook without a CD or DVD one had to make one's own backup discs. I thought I had such a device - but I didn't, and all other attempts to make a backup failed. I had no intention of buying a new device to backup a system for which I had already paid the license. The back up should have been supplied on a disc or a partition of the main drive.
However; I also had trouble with the automatic screen brightness which seemed to please itself every ten seconds or so, and disabling the auto function didn't make much difference. The start up time for applications was slower than I had anticipated allowing for the 1.6 Intel processor and overall, it was sluggish.
Battery time was bad at just over two hours and placing it in standby was not a long-term option.
So, it went back a few days ago.

In the meantime, the Asus Transformer came and went at midnight on 25/26 April.
I found one in stock at Amazon at 12.28am Arizona time, but by the time I got it into the cart and checkout, it had been relegated to the 'sold out' state!
I ordered it and the keyboard anyway and sat back expecting a wait of at least two weeks, maybe four.
And so, the same afternoon, I dropped into Best Buy (who had never put it up for sale that night) just in case they had one. Of course, they didn't and I was informed that they might be arriving some time in the next 2 - 3 weeks.
Long story short; I got talked into buying an Acer Iconia A500. For all the world just like the Asus, Xoom et al.
In a nutshell, the Asus has a better screen with IPS display and Gorilla glass to save all the knocks it might take. The Acer supposedly has slightly better cameras and for the money, and the Asus at $350 has 16MG memory compared to the Acer's $400 32GB.
The deal stealer is the $150 keyboard accessory (do you hear that, Motorola? 150 Dollars!)

So, here I am using the Acer, which chooses to turn itself on sometimes when it should be in standby. Several time when left in such a state, I have returned to use it only to find that the battery had but a few minutes left. For some reason, its also doing the self-determination auto screen brightness thing that Dell did! I wondered if it was something to do with the light where I normally sit but found that it happened anywhere but usually just before dusk, when I had the house lights on. At times like that, it made the unit very annoying to use and reading in bed became a chore.
If you buy one, be aware that the back of the Acer is very smooth, I almost dropped it a couple of times.
I have also noted that the Google Reader creates a shimmering top and bottom frame line on occasions but I also noted this on the Xoom and so I put this down to the app although it certainly seems to happen more frequently with the Iconia.

Now we get to the good(?) part: Two days after I bought the Acer, together with complete assurance from the sales guy that I could return it within 14 days, I received an update from Amazon stating that the Asus had shipped and should arrive by 5/4/11, but without the keyboard accessory.

So, it looks like the Acer is going back too.
Bottom line between the Acer and the Xoom; the Xoom seem to perform better - but at what extra cost???

Gear change

2011-03-27T22:46:00.001-07:00

No, I don't mean in the car! I mean computer gear.
After 14 days I took the Motorola Xoom back for a refund but within a week I bought a B & N Nook Color from their ebay slot for $ 195
Of course, I put Honeycomb on it as soon as possible and I am loving it. It is no where near as good a the Xoom but for 200 bucks . . .
Its quite an impressive piece of gear for the price; great screen and scrolling and of course, just made for reading books!!!
Anyway, I started to experience that old NTP feeling again (new toy purchase), so I bought a Dell Inspiron Duo and, I have to say, I'm very impressed with the quality and feel of it. It's a little slow loading but otherwise put performs well. The swivel screen is impressive in its ease of use and design. The touch screen is very useable, even with Windows. The Dell UI overlay is next to useless and battery life is bad at around 3 hours.
I've been using Microsoft Speech quite a bit and have found it accurate. It's still not better than a keyboard, of course, but quite useful with practice.
All in all, it will do me until I decide on which tablet to savor next!

Nanos

Corning Glass - in the future

2011-03-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

I don't have many close friends who would enjoy this glimpse of the future so I'm placing it here for the (very) few who read my blog to see and wonder over.
It's basically a Corning Glass promo which I first saw at pocketnow.com.

Enjoy!.

Nanos

Motorola Xoom; Impressions

2011-02-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

As a whole, I note the weight of both the iPad and Xoom are normally described as being the same but the Xoom feels slightly heavier, I think this may be because of the aspect ratio being 16:10, thus distributing the weight differently. It is certainly easy to maintain a hold on the unit due to the type of material the case is made of.
I like the aspect ratio and find it better than the iPad and certainly better than the other tablets at 16:9. A minor matter where the benefit seems to be disproportionate to the scale of the difference.
The screen is easy on the eye (I have not yet experienced eye strain as I regularly do with other tablets) and responsive to the touch but it is a fingerprint magnate so a screen protector will be the next item on the shopping list.

I find the Android browser to be fast although some sites come in mobile flavor. Per the Forums at XDA this can be altered within the browser although it resets itself. Apparently the problem is that the browser is set to take instructions from each app or web site as to which resolution is available and should be displayed (mobile or regular) but not enough coders are taking full advantage of that capability - yet.
This, like the small number of Honeycomb-ready apps, can only improve with time, and I am certain this will be improved upon in the very near future. At this time, I have only come across one app that does not scale at all (AAA Solitaire) but then, I haven't had time to try them all.

The keyboard is not SWYPE but, of course Swype is not everyone’s cup of tea. I actually like the keyboard and it is responsive and accurate, and two-handed typing is possible. The prediction of this keyboard is exceptional and, frankly, I think I might get to like it better on this larger device (as compared to a cell phone).

Which brings us nicely to the angle for typing. This would normally be dealt with by using a suitable jacket capable of holding the device securely for carrying and at various angles for typing, surfing, etc.

The word is that the Motorola jacket (at around $39) stinks in that it looks and feels cheap and scratches the Xoom sides. And whilst talking about accessories, the basic dock (at around $49) is similarly not receiving good reviews. There are reports coming in about the dock saying it is nothing more than a physical support and charger. There’s not even an outlet to hook up to a PC, let alone an HDMI. I won’t be wasting my money of that, either.

As for the UI: I noted a few professional bloggers saying that they did not find it intuitive. Are they kidding? There are a few new things in Honeycomb but if they had taken the time to read the briefest of booklets supplied with the Xoom (‘Master Your Device’) they would have seen it all set out there in a couple of sentences. So, if someone tells you it is difficult to use the new Honeycomb, you tell them they are simple minded.

Now, going around the screen, starting bottom left: (looking at the unit in landscape mode)

There is an arrow pointing to the left – a back arrow
A little house – the home button
A files icon – when pressed it brings up running apps (similar to a long press on the home button on Froyo. As with Froyo, no need to go around killing apps all the time, just leave them alone for goodness sake!

Bottom right of the screen:

This is the main notification area. It always shows the time, Wi-Fi/3G strength meter and battery meter.
It also shows small icons indicating downloading, mail, ‘Reader’ count and various other items.
Pressing on the individual icons brings up the message (or WHY) for that icon.
Pressing on the time brings up the info on the temporary icons (mentioned above) and also a quick access to Wi-Fi connections, Settings in general, etc. Another tap brings up quick access to Airplane mode; screen brightness; lock screen, etc, etc. (There is also a ‘Settings’ button in the Apps so you can place a shortcut to Settings on one of the five available screens.)

Top right of the screen:

An icon for Apps
A “+” sign which brings up a screen for adding apps and widgets (also can be reached by a long press/hold on the screen itself).

Top left of the screen:

A Google search including a ‘mike’ icon for voice search.
The search is programmable to include the web, apps, contacts, etc, etc.

What else? The charger is not a mini USB as one would have hoped but a miniature single insulated pin type (think earphone connector). The charging adapter would be placed on the side of the unit when in portrait mode (reading books/mags, e.g.) but on the bottom edge of the unit when viewed in landscape mode which could prove problematical when using a sleeve/angle support.

Battery is working out really good for me and I would predict that a full day's work could be achieved with the Xoom. Charging is rapid (I just performed a 30% to 85% in half hour).
The Power button being on the back seems a reasonable place for it and there is certainly no chance of hitting any peripheral buttons by accident, like on some tablets I could name. In fact the only other buttons are the volume controls set on the top left side of the device and they are very well engineered and placed.

Videos play well and look great without any noticeable flicker, but there is no DNLA at this time so accessing material from another network source (e.g. NAS) is not available yet. (Just a matter of time, I'm sure)
I have tried taking a small video and to me it was very acceptable (I am not an aficionado). I have not tried video conferencing, and frankly am not likely too, but the camera gave a reasonable but slightly grainy picture without much delay/jitter.

Editing in Google Docs is working well for me, almost as good as on a true PC (I haven’t tried a whole new document, but I don’t see any problem). Editing a spread sheet was a little trickier due to the size.

I guess you could call all the above ‘Pros’, so how about the ‘Cons’?
The availability of Honeycomb apps
Currently available of accessories
No Flash
No 4G (c’mon, unless you are a media hound, who cares?)
No HDCP over HDMI support
Micro SD not yet active
OK, that is 5 quite important items but all of them have fixes which will be available soon; I believe the 4G (free) upgrade is the farthest away at around 3 months. It’s only a matter of days for the Flash update, weeks for the SD update and only a matter of time before more, lots more apps and accessories become available.
One other Con, as mentioned above, is that the charger is not the micro USB flavor

All in all: I am extremely pleased with my purchase and would recommend it to anyone without hesitation. Will the price come down soon? Who can tell?

Let me know if there is anything else you would like me to cover.

Nanos.

Got it!

2011-02-24T10:43:00.001-07:00

Ok, I have my Xoom in my grubby little hands, activated and sync'd with gmail. I didn't have to but I decided to try out the one month plan.
Costco have a 30 day policy to reimburse the difference should the price drop and they foot the activation fee!
More to follow . . .
Nanos

The Xoom Looms

2011-02-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today, I very nearly talked a Costco phone salesman into selling me a Xoom a day early.
We got in conversation and he enthused about the Xoom stating he had time to play with it earlier and "it rocked!"
I was told that they had five in stock (are you kidding me!?) but, after checking and double checking, he found he couldn't let me buy one until tomorrow, 24th. I'm telling you, he really tried to let me have one.
Oh well, it was well worth a try.
Now the good news; Costco are selling the Xoom at $10 cheaper at$789 without contract.
I have heard speculation before but I saw the prices right there on their screen
The salesman stated it was available without an obligatory one month minimum data plan. I wonder if this is so as everywhere else seems to think that it is a must?

Later this evening, I had a call from BestBuy telling me that the Xooms were in and would be on sale first thing tomorrow.

To save ten bucks, or not to save?
Hmmm

Nanos

Xoom pre-ordered today

2011-02-20T19:51:00.001-07:00

I saw that Best Buy had the Motorola Xoom up for pre-order today so I dutifully went there, credit card in hand.
What did they have there?
A small sign about the size of a small sheet of paper with a photo of the Xoom and a price of $799. No real or dummy models there, no accessories, no nothing!
I ordered one anyway. The salesman took a $50 deposit and gave me a gift card for that amount. The idea is that I will receive a telephone call the evening before, when they are certain the Xooms will be delivered, and I call in, in this case, Thursday, and pay the balance. If I change my mind in the meantime, I'm stuck with a $50 Best Buy cash card - no big deal.
All the rest is the same at this time; a compulsory one month's data purchase (1GB for $20) or a more expensive plan. I'm looking at a monthly plan but I'll be checking in with Verizon to see if I can get a better deal as I am an existing a customer. BTW. Verizon have nothing on their website for the Xoom at this time but I'll keep an eye out.
Hurry up Thursday!

Nanos

Celiocorp and that $499 Atrix netbook accessory

2011-02-19T12:00:00.001-07:00

I mentioned the other day the Redfly netbook-type accessory for Winmo cell phones. I used the Redfly PC download on my laptop when I had a Winmo phone and found it very useful. I never bought the netbook accessory itself but it looks like Celiocorp or working on a version for Android - and the 7" is selling for $199 and the 8" for $249.
Now that sounds like an affordable alternative to the current $499 Atrix addon.
I've sent a query to them and will post the reply, if I receive one.

Www.celiocorp.com

Nanos

Xoom/Galaxy 10.1? (Oh, and Swype)

2011-02-17T00:12:00.001-07:00

The galaxy 10.1 is looking promising. Of course, no price yet, no release date - and comparisons give the Xoom the edge. It seems to me that general opinion is looking at the Galaxy coming in at a lower price than the anticipated $800 of the Xoom. Personally, I'm not so sure, taking into account the original Galaxy price for wi-fi only. I think we could be looking at a tie.
A deal breaker for me would not be 4g, nor extra MB on the camera, but having Swype on the keyboard. I'm writing on it now and, for me, its the bees knees, in fact, I wouldn't be blogging from my cell phone if it were not for swype. (No, I don't have shares in the company!)
I'm not an Apple fan, but I've enjoyed using the iPad which I have now sold and I'm starting to get withdrawal symptoms for a 10 inch tablet. This puts the Atrix out of the running because it can be used in netbook mode, etc, etc, but it can't pass for a tablet. As I've mentioned before, with the right prices I would have gone for both Atrix and Xoom but . . .
Early adopter or geek, or both, Atrix plus netbook accessory plus Xoom AND those data plan prices??? We're talking serious money, folks!
What would tempt me? Atrix at 199, media dock and netbook accessory for 200 (together) and Xoom (wi-fi only) for 575.
There you are, now we're talking less than $1,000.

Nanos (the dreamer).

$ 1200?

2011-02-13T23:55:00.001-07:00

Ok, now we are hearing $1199 for the Xoom.
Remember when Microsoft introduced the concept of tablets all those (few) years ago. They suggested the tablets would sell for around $500 - $700 but came to market for over $1,000, some of them well over $1,000.
I'm going to stop here, before I feel really aggrieved at being ripped off!

PS. If it wasn't for the 7 inch screen, the Nook would be a real contender for me at this time. (Confession: I bought one about 8 weeks ago but took it back. That was before they got Android working on it)

Nanos

Waiting on Xoom

2011-02-12T14:52:00.001-07:00

Well, my trusty HP tx2000 just bit the dust: I've just sold my iPad and my Archos 7.0 and here I an with just my trusty ol' Droid X
Where oh where is the new Xoom?
I guess I've still another week to wait before I can get my hands on one - for $ 800!
The Atrix is out of the question now due to the ridiculous price of the netbook accessory. I have a feeling that is going to be a big factor in whether the Atrix sells well or not.
In the meantime, I still have my older HP desktop replacement, an EEE and an LG, plus my wifes HP AIO and notebook, so I guess I can manage for another week.

BTW. Do you think the day might come when a carrier will give us a bucket of GB for a set price regardless of what device we use them on? Lets be fair, wouldn't it be nice to change phones daily, like socks or watches?

Nanos.

Motorola missing the mark?

2011-02-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

I can't help but make mention of the comparisons being made between the iPad and the new Motorola Xoom, especially in regards to the price of said pieces of tech.

So; the Xoom may cost around $800 but why compare it to the iPad?
I believe, as it is argued, that feature for feature, the Xoom is a better piece of tech than the iPad and, considering dollar for dollar, the price may be justified but - wasn't the iPad overpriced to start with?
I recall all the hype and clamor when the price of the iPad range was announced; we all thought it should have come to market at a lower price.
So why start trying to justify the $800 price of the Xoom by comparing it to the iPad price?

Let's face it, for the Xoom to be great competitor to the iPad (and I truly hope it is), the starting price needs to more competitive than it is.

NOW for the Atrix . . .
$499 for that simple screen and keyboard. Are you kidding me (again)?
Don't try to argue (AT&T) that is it more than a netbook - it just simply is not.
It's little more than the RedFly idea which was probably a little too soon for the times - like the Palm Folio.

Motorola: You have made some great products, but if they don't sell, you might as well have invented a pink elephant. Please think carefully about the price.
I, for one, have gone from being a most likely customer for both the Atrix and Xoom, to a possible customer for the Xoom only, if that.

$500 on it's own or $300 as part of a deal?

2011-02-04T21:38:00.001-07:00

Come on AT&T, Motorola. Are you kidding us. From the rumored $150 to a minimum of $300 as part of the deal for the screen, keyboard netbook dock for the Atrix? $500 on its own, who's going to pay that.
I guess some suckers will. That's even beyond what most early adopters will pay.
I was thinking seriously about going back to AT&T but no way, not after hearing those prices. I might stick to the Xoom rumored to be coming on 2/24/11 at Best Buy
Shame, but I'm not good for a netbook dock at that price!!!

Straight out of Safari browser

2010-04-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Nope, just the same!!!!

IPad and GoodNotes

2010-04-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, sending a new blog out straight from my iPad using GoodNotes for iPad.

The k'board takes a little getting used to and corrections take a little time but those of you used to typing (properly) will get along just fine, especially in landscape mode using both hands.

OK. I have discovered that all toying has to be done in 'edit' mode -which doesn't allow for adding pics and links. Going into 'compose' mode shows all the necessary tools for this, but they are not active. tapping on them just selects the whole page for copy/paste, etc.

I'll keep at it and post again later.
Perhaps in the meantime, I'll try another angle on this blogging thing

NanOs

Test

2010-04-24T00:26:00.000-07:00

TEST by ipad 4/23/10

Blogger in Draft

2010-03-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

Google's 'Blogger in Draft' has recently been released which allows Blogger's bloggers (hah) to quickly personalize their blog appearance. This is a new one I thought I'd test out.

Let me know what you think.

Mirasol: New type of display coming, and that's the trouble with tech

2010-03-13T12:21:00.001-07:00

Exciting new developments happen all the time in the technology field.

Today I came across an update on a display system under development, in the form of a Qualcomm Mirasol display. It is an eReader with color and the research is a culmination of interferometric modulator (IMOD) elements, which works with tiny MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) devices made up of flexible membranes spread over a mirrored surface. (How's that for technical?)

Qualcomm grabbed inspiration from the colors found in wildlife and, from the study of biomimetics (technology imitating nature), created the first full-color, video-capable display for an eReader which is expected to be available this fall. The best about this is that it is claimed to save better than 40% battery life - which translates to less size and less weight.

So what's the gripe about?
Pretty simple really but a never-ending problem for new tech geeks (NTG's). Here I am, poised to get hold of one of the new slates/tablets which are due out soon, and along comes a promising new technology which has the potential to devalue my investment. ("INVESTMENT" Hah! Like that one? Grin)

Now I have to consider as to whether if my new slate is going to be outdated within a year, and so the question is; 'Is buying a slate WITHOUT the new display tech worth it - should I wait?'
It's a problem that is a constant spectre for tech-buying ~~idiots~~ er, ~~enthusiasts~~ er, investors. It's a situation that we deal with almost constantly, but you all know we'll be jumping straight in - and weighing the consequences later - right!

There is more to read about this new tech at Laptopmag.com

Enough of all this heart-rending stuff . . . Any of you guys booked early for the iPad gravy train? Up until now I don't know anyone who has.

NanOs

2010-03-10T23:12:00.000-07:00

Do you guys have Google Reader?
Yes or no, it doesn't matter because all readers can now view blogs in a great new way: with Google Reader Play.It's a new product that makes the best stuff in (Google) Reader more accessible for everyone. Reader Play is a new way to browse interesting stuff on the web, customized to the topics you’re interested in, with no setup required.
Items in Reader Play are presented one at a time, and images and videos are automatically enlarged to maximize the viewing experience.

If you are already using Reader, just a simple click in the drop down box on the chosen blog and click 'View in Reader Play'. (See below for a screen shot of my Reader with the box shown)

For those not yet using Reader, go here to read some more about Play and try it for yourself - I think you'll like it. (See below for a screen shot of NanOs Notes in Reader)

I think it looks neat and I hope you like it too. Of course, you don't have to get Reader Play to continue to read NanOs Notes, but it's there to try.

A portion of my Reader page on Google (Click for larger image)

And on Reader Play (Click for larger image)

Note the left/right arrows for navigation

Touchscreens, all you need to know

2010-03-08T18:28:00.001-07:00

Boy, I'm borrowing big time from JKOnTheRun today.
James Kendrick has a great article up today on everything you need to (read: should) know about touchscreen devices. If you are thinking about buying a touch device, you would be well served by reading and digesting his straight forward description of this topic.

He deals with Active, Resistive and Capacitive Digitizers, then completes it by a passage about What This Means in the Real World.
He concludes with some great advice:

Tablet PCs that run Windows 7 and have dual digitizers are the only devices currently available that can handle both touch (multitouch, too) and handwriting on the screen. These devices are much more expensive than the cheap tablets garnering a lot of attention recently, but you get what you pay for. The important thing to remember is if handwriting on the screen is vital to your needs, the cheap tablets are not going to handle it well, if at all.

To provide a full handwriting on the screen experience, the platform must natively handle it properly. Currently, only Windows 7 and Windows Vista have the capability. Microsoft doesn’t offer Windows XP Tablet Edition any longer, so any tablet with XP will not handle inking at all. Android is starting to appear on slates this year, but it has no native ability to handle handwriting on the screen. It will have to be developed by either Google or third parties to leverage that ability fully. The iPad doesn’t have the ability to handle handwriting either, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see companies produce solutions down the road.

Go here to read the whole article, you'll be glad that you did.

NanOs

Talking of my NTP (a 'slate')

2010-03-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

Following on from my item about slates, yesterday:
Let's not forget the HP slate introduced by Steve Balmer (Microsoft) at the last CES.
HP have a couple of new videos up showing more of their soon-to-be device. Go there to see some more of that. For me, I'm impressed - and with their own customer user interface over win7, Kevin C Tofel (JKOnTheRun) likens it to the Origami Experience part III.

Most of my readers are not hardcore computer addicts and so for them:
Origami was a new interface introduced several years ago by Microsoft when Bill Gates was hyping up the new format for PC's, the UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC). The project was launched in 2006 as a collaboration between Microsoft, Intel, Samsung; remember the Samsung Q1. Everyone thought the Microsoft mentioned price of about $700 was good but the Samsung came in at around $1400
UMPC's were going to be all the rage but, like a lot of things, they were years ahead of their time. (How about the Palm Folio for example?)
In late August 2006, TabletKiosk launched a line of Intel based UMPCs, the eo i7210 and i7209, which I mentioned in my post of yesterday.
But for all that, the Origami interface didn't do well, although I am running it right now on top of Win7 on my HP TX2000 Touchsmart laptop. It's great for finger control but I admit, it could do with freshening up a little and, frankly, that shouldn't take a lot of work.

Anyway: Back to the HP. Strangley they say;

"Oh, and our friends at the FCC want us to let you know that this device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained." (My bolding)

Does this mean that you could get one somewhere right now - if it weren't for the FCC???

Take a look at the projected HP slate, and tell me you aren't impressed with this device. Could this be the next NTP for you guys? Price guesses?

NanOs

Self-charging cell phones

2010-03-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

From the New Scientist:

YOUR cellphone need never again run out of juice while you're on the go. So says Nokia of Finland, which filed a US patent last week for a handset that recharges itself by harvesting energy from the owner's motion

Nokia envisages a phone in which the heavier components, such as the radio transmitter circuit and battery, are supported on a sturdy frame. This frame can move along two sets of rails, one allows it travel up and down, the other side to side.

Strips of piezoelectric crystals sit at the end of each rail and generate a current when compressed by the frame. So as the user walks, or otherwise moves the phone, the motion generates electricity. This charges a capacitor which in turn trickles charge into the battery, keeping it topped up.

Apart from possibly weight increases, why hasn't this been done before? (or has it?)

NanOs

NTP fix

2010-03-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am getting so fed up waiting for a descent 10 inch 'slate' to come out that I am having withdrawal symptoms - I need a fix.

The iPad is due out April 3 2010, with pre-orders being taken 3/12 - at least for the non-3G offering (which is supposedly due by the end of April).
Frankly, I'm just not interested in a large iPhone/iPod

There's is more news on the Courier and I'm not sure if it's just me, but the news sounds a little depressing.

Nilay Patel at Engaget.com, reports receiving an update from an 'extremely reliable source' and states;
We're told Courier will function as a "digital journal," and it's designed to be seriously portable: it's under an inch thick, weighs a little over a pound, and isn't much bigger than a 5x7 photo when closed. That's a lot smaller than we expected -- this new picture really puts it into perspective -- and the internals apparently reflect that emphasis on mobility: rather than Windows 7, we're told the Courier is built on Tegra 2 and runs on the same OS as the Zune HD, Pink, and Windows Mobile 7 Series, which we're taking to mean Windows CE 6.

Windows CE 6??
It had better be a solid improvement over the CE which is running on my SmartQ V7 (which I enjoy using - although I have settled for the Ubuntu OS and not the CE nor the Android, which still refuses to pick up my home wi-fi)

I have been looking hard at a few 'slates-to-be'.

The HANVON TouchPad BC10C and BC10E.

The BC10E (Win XP, resistive screen) runs on a Menlow 1.6Ghz which gives reasonable performance and the BC10C (Win7, capacitive screen) runs the Intel Celeron 1.3, which is more expensive but more powerful.
Here is a link to umpcportal.com/ where you can see them in operation (pics and vids)

Another contender (for me) is the NotionInk Adam.

It has a Pixel Qi transflective display; NVIDIA Tegra T20 chipset; 180 degree Swivel Camera; 1080p Full HD video playback; integrated WiFi, Bluetooth and UMTS/HSDPA. Not sure of the price, yet.

It certainly looks like it could be my next slate.

I say next, because I already have a Tablet Kiosk's eo i7209 slate (XP) which I bought about 2 or three years ago. It's a 9' resistive screen device but it's slow. (I have had Win 7 working on it but there is a dearth of drivers to make it pleasurable using the device, and inking is out of the question)

I digress. Next, as a possible (!?) contender is the Joo Joo (ex Michael Harrington's CarryPad)

It has some shaky history but, on the surface - if it does what is says - it could be a nice device. At this time, though, I am glad I am not one of those who placed an advance order!

Then, how about the . . . heck, I could gone on and on. I am leaning towards the 'Adam' at this time but so much could happen before it arrives on the scene, later this year.

For those of you interested in seeing pics of some of the more interesting small devices out there, try a visit to UMPC Portal and browse their substantial album.

NanOs

Adding oxygen to booze speeds sobriety

2010-03-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Not tech but for anyone who likes a tipple, this is interesting news.

From an article in the New Scientist:

I think we all know that there's nothing like a good dose of oxygen for dissipating the alcohol left in one's system after a few drinks. Well a S Korean university group believe they may have found the drinkers utopia - by adding oxygen to the drink before you drink it.
It's a short article and so I have reproduced it in its entirety below: -

BOOZE that has been treated so that you sober up faster afterwards may sound like a drinker's dream, but could end up being their downfall if it encourages heavy drinkers to consume even more alcohol.

Kwang-il Kwon and his colleagues at Chungnam National University in Daejeon, South Korea, gave 30 men and 19 women 360 millilitres of a drink containing 19.5 per cent alcohol by volume, about the strength of fortified wine or sake. The drinks also contained 8, 20 or 25 parts per million of dissolved oxygen, which is known to play a role in alcohol breakdown by the body.

It took about 5 hours for the blood alcohol levels of volunteers to reach zero. But Kwon's team found that on average, those whose drinks contained 20 or 25 ppm of oxygen went to zero 23 minutes and 27 minutes faster respectively than those who had the lowest-oxygen drinks.

The researchers suggest that enriching alcoholic drinks with oxygen might "allow individuals to become sober faster". "The reduced time to a lower blood-alcohol concentration may reduce alcohol-related accidents," they write.

A spokeswoman for the British Medical Association was unimpressed. "We wouldn't want a situation where people drank more simply because they would recover quicker."

"Of course not!"

Good for your, Kwang, baby. NanOs

New: Tegatech TEGA 3G Touch Tablet PC, From Downunder

2010-02-27T11:21:00.002-07:00

Tegatech, an Australian firm featuring Hugo Ortega, is about to release a new tablet (in two iterations) called the TEGA 3G Touch tablet.
Hugo blogs at http://ubertablet.blogspot.com and has always been a firm believer in the tablet PC.

Now his company is almost ready to release the tablets whose specs are as follows: -

Tegatech TEGA 3G Touch Tablet PC

CPU: 1.6 GHz | HDD: 160GB | RAM: 1GB | SCREEN: 10.2" | Touch + 3G

Intel® Atom™ N270 ULV Processor, 10.2" TFT-LCD with Resisitive Touch Screen, 160GB HDD, 1.0GB RAM, 802.11 a/b/g wifi, includes built-in HSDPA modem, Main battery pack (3500mah) Lithium Polymer Battery, NO OPERATING SYSTEM (Windows 7 options)

And the second model simply comes with Win 7 Home pre-installed (can have Win 7 Pro)

He already has a firm price for the US market of "From US$650.76".

Take a look at his web site and his blog and let me know your thoughts on his offerings.

NanOs

Dell Mini5 debate update.

2010-02-22T00:10:00.000-07:00

For those who might not have visited Mobile Barbarians blog about the Dell Mini5, it started off about the pocketability and usability of this 'larger-than-usual-but-none-the-less-cell-phone' gadget.

Genghis Khent (aka Mobile Barbarian) was voicing some concerns about using this slightly larger cell phone in public - probably because of the appearance of using such a large item up to his ear. Well, we might be geeks, but we don't want to go around looking like a donkey with a plank stuck to its head! We want our public to think we are suave intellectuals, of course.

And so the conversation began and I mused on using it as a sort of speaker phone, so anyone in the vicinity could hear the whole of the conversation. Then I just took it from there, and . . . Well, here is my response.
****************

Portability:
Dealing first with the HTC Advantage (an example of which I have before me right now): There are three weights to consider with the Advantage because there are three ways of carrying it.
With k’brd and in carrying case (16oz)
Just phone and k’brd (13oz)
Just the phone (10oz), also pocketable as such.

I wouldn’t dream of carrying anything other than a simple, cheap clam-style phone in an open pocket, let along a gadget costing several hundred $$
If it were down to toting the Dell Mini5, I would carry it in a brief case or in a suitable belt-type pouch.

Taking Calls:
There are three ways of achieving this (currently)
1. Fully private conversation: – like taking a call in a private location
2. Semi-private conversation: – like taking a phone call in a restaurant
3. Public conversation: – like taking a speakerphone in public – or speaking on the Dell in public.

There seems to be some social hangup about having a full, two-way call in public, yet no one thinks twice about people nearby overhearing one side of any call. If a semi-private conversation becomes private/intimate, then a person will generally leave for a more quiet location (like they should anyway!) Don’t you just hate someone in the next booth shouting away at themselves on the cell phone?

What is the difference between hearing a two-sided conversation between two (or more) people in a restaurant booth and hearing a two-way telephone conversation?
I would argue that there is no real difference. It is all in the head of the listener.
It is just one small step to hearing both sides of a private telephone call, and remember that even now with one-sided calls, anyone near you will only hear your side of the conversation BUT someone the other end is, undoubtedly, overhearing the other end of the conversation.

What I am getting at is that this hangup about people hearing both sides of a phone call is, really, all in one’s head. It is a social hangup and not a privacy thing – if it were a privacy matter, then people would not speak on a phone in any conditions whereby they may be overheard; like taking a phone call by walking outside a meeting, for example.

Perhaps we need to examine the origins of public telephone conversations.
Might I suggest that it is with the incorporation of mobile phones into our lives that calls started to become public and not private, and I believe that this is mostly due to our innate extrovert character and the human propensity for a display of ego. I believe most of us can remember the emergence of the ‘mobile phone phenomenon’. Suddenly, the accepted privacy of telephone calls was brought out into the public realm. I remember when I started to see people ‘openly talking’ on the mobile phones; “Bloody show-offs” I recall myself thinking.

Two-way conversations will soon become socially acceptable and let us not forget, there are those who seem to want to heard talking to someone else on the phone, as though to say: “Look at me, I have people who can’t live without talking to me. I must be important!”
Personally, I don”t receive many calls but if I did, I would prefer to take private calls, privately.

Two-way, open conversations: – Etiquette.
Making the caller aware of a two way conversation.

When driving my work vehicle I have to operate my cell phone ‘hands free’ and frequently have a speaker phone active (Bluetooth ear-pieces don’t suit me very well). Whenever I have a passenger I always announce to the caller that they are on speaker phone and that (name) is with me. That way the caller doesn’t say something embarrassing!

So, finally, would I buy and use something like the Dell Mini5?
Yes. I used to use my Nokia N800 the same way with Skype and got on very well by keeping private stuff private. It’s quite easy, really!
With the Dell, especially seeing that it CAN be used as a regular phone, I would just answer it as normal and, if private, I would ‘take it outside’ and possibly then switch to speaker phone mode.

PS. I am sure we are aware that there is current work taking place on ’silent conversation’? I read in a few places that the military are perfecting a system whereby one thinks and mouths the words without actually uttering them and this piece of tech picks up what you wish to say and transmits it to your caller.

*****************

Well, that was my comment in reply to his article and I understand that he wishes to respond so, come back and read this later and click on the link to this article, on the right hand side, and read his worthy thoughts. Please weigh in with your own ideas, too. I'm sure we all have thoughts on public cell phone use!

NanOs

SamrtQ V7 Update

2010-02-21T16:46:00.001-07:00

I have to admit - that Andoid sure is giving me problems, again!

After installing the new Android v. 2.0 and making immediate wi-fi contact, it is now misbehaving itself again.
I am not sure whether this is the Andoid OS or the device but I can no longer connect to my home wi-fi.
Basically, after turning the device off, it will no longer scan for wi-fi. Of course, I could reinstall from SD again but frankly, what's the point to have to start a device by installing the OS every time?
Actually, at a 55 second startup time, what's the diff!?

This has made me use the Win CE more but I have to say, it is slow and tinny - although it finds the wifi quickly.
The Ubuntu is the system I seem to be using all the time now and it finds and connects the wi-fi a real treat which makes me suspect the Android system as far as the connection problem goes. But I have never been a Linux lover and find it wanting in satisfaction. I can liken Linux to watching a 1950 black and white film on an old TV whereas I am used to a color HD TV.

Overall, the screen seems responsive but the processor is noticeably slow and typing is a real chore on any of the OS's. Another problem is wondering whether a key press (finger poke) has registered and ending up with multiple windows opening - eventually.

I have been using it for surfing and email while sat around the house but, with the three main buttons being on the top, it means that it must be continually held in the left hand and becomes heavy and awkward after a while - otherwise you find yourself turning the device off all the time.

Recommendation at this time: Save your money for the Dell Mini5! Having said that, it is certainly something I will use now and then for light surfing and will certainly play with it as far as other OS's are involved.

NanOs

What OS's are there for smartphones?

2010-02-21T16:22:00.001-07:00

I guess a lot of people ask this question at some time: "Exactly what operating systems ARE available on cell phones and what are their strengths, etc.

Well, I will direct you to an article over at Gizmodo which answers that question very nicely and deals with several of the available choices, some you will know, and some you may be vague on.

It is not practical to post it all here so please visit Gizmodo and make a better informed decision when buying your next phone.

NanOs

Dell Mini5 and private telephone calls. Is the Dell too big for private conversations?

2010-02-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

Not so much a post as a link to another post by the Mobile Barbarian - who you should be following anyway!!!

I was advised of a recent article at the Mobile Barbarian blog which deals with whether the Dell Mini 5 upcoming cell phone/MID is really usable as a phone.

I would like you all to take a few minutes to visit his blog especially as it contains an observation by yours truly with regards to the methodology of two-way telephonic conversations and matters of privacy.

Having read it, I also encourage you to weigh-in with your 2cents-worth in the 'comments' section.

NanOs Footnotes: - No wrinkles for us

2010-02-15T17:32:00.001-07:00

A scientific article is recommended here; one which will have you girls (and some of us guys) reaching for an over the counter anti-wrinkle cream.

I don't know about you, but when I hear about an OTC product which confidently assert that it has been "scientifically proven" to do this or that, I just bristle - and move on.

Well, Proctor and Gamble have just taken on the scientific community and proved that their OTC wrinkle creams are, in fact, as effective as prescription remedies for anti-aging.

"This is the first time that a cosmetic product has been tested head-to-head against a drug product over a long period of time and they've shown parity. This is pretty landmark stuff." States an involved dermatologist.

Well sign me up - not that I'm that old and wrinkly - but I must finish writing now and get to my nearest Walgreen before they close.

Read on at http://www.newscientist.com/

NanOs

iPad, Schmypad.

2010-02-15T13:33:00.002-07:00

With the recent news about the new release of 'Windows Phone 7 Series' (WinMo7) at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier today it seems they have a winner on their hands at last. Comments are flying about how it has ". . .out-Appled Apple . . ." and other such proclamations.

So much is being written about it that I will not echo it here but encourage you to visit sites like Gizmodo, and see for yourself.

A little farther on in my reading today, I came across another rant, about the Apple iPad this time and I found it very funny.
I have posted it below but be warned it is in German with profane English-language subtitles.

NanOs

Android update; Wi-Fi and more.

2010-02-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

OK, that was quick. I reinstalled Android v 2.0 and went straight to the English language section and changed it, then activated the wi-fi and it found my network immediately. Can't tell about signal strength yet.
Woo hoo!

SmartQ V7; it's arrived.

2010-02-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

My SmartQ V7 arrived Thursday evening and so I took it down the pub and carried out the unboxing there, on the bar counter. The SmartQ5 was unboxed by Chippy on UMPCPortal some time back but I will show the photos here because you may be amused by the package; here goes: -

I thought you'd get a kick out of that. It wasn't sealed, just with the edges folded over and tied up with string!

Anyway, here is the gadget, itself: That's the 2 screen protectors on top.

And it came with a travel converter plug:

It also came with an USB/HDMI connector, an additional 'kickstand' to stand the V7 on (like a picture), two screen protectors, a small leaflet (all in Chinese) and the small charger, of course (which I later noticed became hot while charging)

Here is a comparison to the VIliv 7.

Size wise, the Viliv is just a fraction thicker and wider.

The Viliv weighs in at 24.9 oz (706g) and the SmartQ at 17.05 oz (483g)

Now the fun begins:

As I mentioned, the V7 comes with Ubuntu Linux. Windows CE and Android.

Linux and WinCE worked fine and picked up the wi-fi straight away - Android messed up right from the start and proved impossible to use. I later found an update to Android v. 2.0 and updated to that.

(Note here to anyone else using or thinking of buying one of these: Download the .rar file and unzip it to a clean SD card - I used 1GB - turn off the V7, insert the SD then restart but keep the 'enter' button pressed while restarting - the third button down on the left front. The V7 will automatically install the new update and reboot).

Anyway, there I am with the new Android and - it's all in Chinese! Well, I knew that, most likely, somewhere in there was a section which allowed me to set my location. I was right but boy, did that take a long time!

Now I can't get any wi-fi or Bluetooth; it could be that with all the messing around and activating goodness knows what, I've checked something I shouldn't have so a new reinstall might be in order, then go straight to the location setting first!!!

The resistive touch screen doesn't rotate but is excellent and very responsive.

Linux responds well to touch and is quite intuitive to use but I am not over impressed with WinCE at this time. As others have noted, the wi-fi signal strength is low; where all my other PC's show excellent strength, the connection with the V7 is low strength and slow.

I will continue to tweak the Linux and WinCE and see what I can do to get the Wi-Fi going on the Android and keep you up to date with progress and overall thoughts when I have used it for a bit.

At $200 would I recommend the SmartQ V7?

To someone who likes messing with this sort of stuff, 'Yes'.

To someone who wants a trouble-free web browsing experience, 'No'.

I haven't had time to try it as an eReader but I'll give it a spin and let you know. Who knows, at that price, it could(?) make an excellent, cheap reader with the benefit of web browsing.

We'll see.

If anyone has any specific questions or want more photos,let me know

PS: I now know "Airplane" in Chinese.

NanOs

Two (?) more tablets for your edification

2010-02-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

TRUtablet are introducing their TRUtablet-9 within a month or so.

NetbookNavigator are also introducing their Nav-9 Slat PC within the next month - or so.

If the tablet looks kind of familiar, there’s a reason for that. The TRUtablet and the Netbook Navigator Nav 9 tabletare apparently both produced by the same Chinese OEM. TRUtablet and Netbook Navigator are two separate companies that have placed orders with that company, although there will be some differences. For instance, the base model of the Nav 9 includes 2GB of RAM, while the TRUtablet starts at just 1GB. The TRUtablet is also significantly cheaper, with a base price of $649 compared to the Netbook Navigator Nav 9’s starting price of $799. Both will be available in various configurations, including with 3G.

Source: Liliputin

All you wanted to know about digital cameras but didn't realize it

2010-02-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

There is a great article I want to bring to your attention about cameras, from point 'n shoot to digital single lens reflex cameras (D-SLR)

Matt Buchanan over at Gizmodo carries an article about the current state, and future progress, of todays digital cameras.
"In 1975, the first digital camera took 23 seconds to record a 100-line black-and-white photo onto cassette tape. Today, a Nikon D3s takes photos with 12 million pixels at 1/8000 of a second. And it can see in the dark.", he states
You don't say! Progress indeed.

He avers that sensor improvement is now the point of concentrated effort by camera makers; sensors are the equivalent to what used to be known as the film speed (ISO 100, 200, etc)

Anyway, It may go a little deep for some, but for those of you thinking of making a substantial camera purchase in the near future, or those just interested in understanding what make a good photograph, it makes very interesting reading and I encourage you to go and read the article.

NanOs

Germs in packages

2010-02-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am waiting for my package from Hong Kong - the SamrtQ V7.

I arrived home from work today and noted a package sitting on the table. Could it be, I thought to myself, that the V7 has arrived already? As Thursday night is 'drinkie poohs night' I immediately became inventive and wondered if I might be the first blogger to carry out an 'unboxing' on the bar of a local pub? I was already thinking about which camera to use - and, of course, opted for the new Panasonic ZS3 with macro focus, etc.

Then came the letdown . . . it wasn't my package.
I suddenly turned from high praise for the Asian transatlantic mail system, which clearly beat out our very own UPS, to other - if I say so myself - WEIRD thoughts.

For some reason, I had an instant recall of a Simpsons episode where Homer received a package from somewhere in Asian which showed a skit of an Asian - who had some sort of strange flu - coughing and sneezing as he packed up Homers item.
The next scene show Homer opening the package in his American home and all sorts of flies and microscopic bacteria emanate from the contents. That's how dangerous illnesses transfer over large distances and become pandemics, I thought to myself.

Back to reality: In all honesty, how do we know the state of health of anyone, whatever the country, who wraps up our shipping items? What if someone with a terrible contagious disease wrapped our stuff; are we susceptible to contagion? We already know that unwanted bugs arrive here in all manner of imports.

Should we, from the necessity of self preservation, wear a mask and surgical gloves and "safely" dispose of the wrapping materials?
What about the item itself? Should we make a priority of first rubbing down the item with a disposable sanitized pad. Should I panic - or try to market this panic in others and start selling purpose-made cleansing pads to handle and ensure the safety our newly-arrived tech objects?

All these questions and so little time to answer them all.
Now I'm starting to get worried.
Heck, let's have another drink.

Cheers,
NanOs

I got my NTP fix: SmartQ V7 coming

2010-02-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Withdrawal symptoms continued for quite a while following the iPad disappointment and, in my mindless web ramblings, I hit upon the SmartQ range of PMP, MID's etc.
I remembered Chippy over at UMPCPortal testing out the V5 from this stable and being quite impressed with this less-than $200 gadget. He found it a little slow, but otherwise a reasonable buy.

I thought I would give the V7 a spin which is the 7" model. The range has recently been upgraded here and there and now claims "it has greatly improved its video capability to support 1080P videos, HDMI output and PPS Streaming TV."
With only 2GB internal flash memory, and not a lot left for actual use, it takes SD/SDHC cards up to 32 GB in size. This model comes with a triple boot option of Linux, Android or WindowsCE. I thought this would give me a foretaste of Android as there is every chance that the slate I AM going to buy sometime later this year, will be running Android.

Here are the Specs for this gadget: -

Specifications
CPU:	ARM11
Memory - RAM:	256MB
CPU Speed:	667MHz
Storage:	2GB
Touch Screen:	Yes
Screen Size:	7.0 inch
Screen Resolution:	800 x 600
Screen Colors:	16 million
Battery:	4500 mAH
Weight:	480 gram
Dimension:	200 x 120 x 24 mm
Connectivity:	Wifi, Bluetooth, 3G

The V7 is coming from http://www.allpmp.com and shipping from Hong Kong.

I'll keep you posted

NanOs

FTC complaint made against iPad claim to Flash support

2010-01-30T14:04:00.001-07:00

From PC World:
We are told that the new iPad from Apple doesn't support Flash-based content- required for correct viewing of many web sites
"An iPad Flash controversy started when Apple blog 'AppleInsider.com' noticed that promotional images and even a video posted on Apple's Web site appeared to show Flash-based content being displayed on the iPad. The content included a photo gallery and other Flash-based material from The New York Times' Web site."

"While Apple has not explicitly said the iPad won't support Flash, those same sections of theTimes' Web site showed up as blank during Steve Jobs' demonstration of the iPad on Wednesday. Furthermore, Adobe has posted multiple blogsindicating concern for the lack of Flash support on the device."

"The controversy came to a head recently when a someone submitted a formal complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on Friday. Paul Threatt, a graphic designer from Atlanta, said he felt the marketing materials were "willful false advertising."

Now, it seems, there has been an amendment on the Apple web site.

"Fast-forward to this morning, and Apple's iPad materials have changed. The image posted as part of a rotating graphic on the company's home page has been removed, and the video on Apple's Web site now shows a broken Flash box in place of what had previously been live Flash content."

Thanks to PC World

NanOs

NTP not working with iPad

2010-01-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Could it be that the Apple iPad has cured me of the NTP Syndrome?
I look at the iPad, I read about it, I see the pictures and videos but - nothing. No lust, no craving, no "Must have a fix by buying a new gadget" urge - just . . . nothing.

I thought you guys might like to see a comparison list of 'about-to-be-marketed' slates (that's what we are going to call them). Gizmodo posted up this comparison which, frankly, I found to be very useful.

(Click for larger image)

There are a few more out there I would have liked to see compared but . . . I like the sound of the HP and, especially, the Notion Ink offering. I also like the Lenovo offering which gives a choice of slate/netbook but at what price???
As I hear others saying, including my readers, "What about the Courier?"
How about you? Fancy anything offered from the above list?

NanOs

Hello to the Apple iPad

2010-01-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

I am not going to say too much about the new Apple release today, the iPad.
It seems to have been reasonably well received but I am hearing a lot of complaints about it.
In case you haven't seen it close up or in action, you should take the time to view the video, below as it gives a very good idea of what you will be getting should you buy one of these, er, iPads.

What it doesn't show are the drawbacks to the device which strikes me, as others say, like a rather large iPhone / iPod Touch.
Anyhoo, here is a link to the full specs.

It's an Apple device and so everything is tied closely to what Apple deems appropriate and acceptable - personally, I don't like that concept.
I have tried several times here to describe it but each time I get overtaken by its flaws: Proprietary, No Cameras, No Multi-tasking; No Flash, Mini-SIM card only

There are lots of sites out there singing its praises, well, sort of, so try a few so I don't repeat everything you've already heard or read. Try Gizmodo for several inclusive articles, for example.

And don't forget, with an operating temp between 32 to 95 F, don't try using it outdoors in Arizona! What, you don't sit out by the pool in 100 to 110 degrees?

In the end; I'm disappointed but not surprised with this device and, regarding buying one, I'm on the fence at this time and erring towards a No Go. It too 'Appley'.

NanOs

HP slate

2010-01-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

With the new Apple slate having practically been confirmed with a slip of the tongue by a McGraw-Hill spokesman on CNBC interview, I guess you guys had also best be informed of the HP slate which was shown off by Microsoft's Steve Balmer at the recent CES.

Here is a recent HP release talking about and showing off their new slate/tablet. Note how the spokesperson claims it has been ready for the past two years (about the 4.20 min. mark) but they decided it wasn't the time of the slate, just yet. Towards the end he goes on to say that it is not ready for release. Contradictory, it seems. If they have had it ready for two years then they certainly had enough time to beat Apple to the punch and deliver before the 2009 Holiday Season.

Also note how he looks at the girl, almost as though it's his daughter and he's thinking; "That's my girl!"
Or is it just me being suspicious about everything?

NanOs

My apologies for being political, but this affects all of us.

2010-01-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

I don't want to turn this into a political blog but occasionally something comes along which is deeply important to all American citizens.

You may be aware that there has been a lot of public concern about the amount of political influence corporations have at this point in American history. Some say we are run by corporations.
You are also probably aware that there has been a recent challenge to the corporations claim of protection under the 1st Amendment. This was brought to the Supreme Court Of The United States (SCOTUS) by Citizens United and last Wednesday SCOTUS ruled on this challenge, 5 -4 in favor of the corporations' 'right'.
The four dissenting Justices were vocal and vociferous: They voiced the concern that allowing unfettered spending by rich corporations will allow those corporations to influence the outcome of elections in sweeping ways. They also explained that corporations are not human beings and should not have the same free speech rights that humans do.
There were five opinions. Justice Kennedy wrote for the majority of five justices, and Justice Stevens wrote for the dissenters. Justices Scalia and Thomas and Chief Justice Roberts also filed separate opinions.

I believe this matter concerns all Americans and I encourage you to read two articles about this.
The first is here citizens united v fec in plain english at the scotusblog and gives a 'plain English' explanation of the case.
The second recently published article, again at scotusblog, talks about challenges to the ruling and can be found here

As a taste of the second link, here is the first paragraph. It makes for interesting reading for those of my readers who can stick with it.

Only three times in the Nation’s history have Supreme Court decisions so aroused opposition that they were directly overruled by amendments to the Constitution. It is thus rare; it obviously takes a perceived shock to the governmental system before Article V’s revision machinery is pursued to completion.

Again, my apologies for introducing politics and note that I am not giving an opinion. America could be at the crossroads of an important point in its history and you can tell your grandchildren you saw it all happen.
Further apologies to any attorney readers for trespassing.

NanOs

“This will be the most important thing I’ve ever done” – Steve Jobs

2010-01-24T20:04:00.001-07:00

TechCrunch recently posted the following: -

“This will be the most important thing I’ve ever done” – Steve Jobs, referring to the soon-to-be-launched Apple Tablet.

"We haven’t heard this first hand, but we’ve heard it multiple times second and third hand from completely independent sources. Senior Apple execs and friends of Jobs are telling people that he’s about as excited about the upcoming Apple Tablet as he’s ever been. Coming from the man who has created so much, that’s saying something.

If Steve Jobs thinks the iPhone was just a warm up act to this device, I can’t wait to see what it can do. As if our expectations weren’t already set high enough. We’ll all know a lot more this Wednesday."

Thought you would like to know that!

NanOs

Addendum to radio info:

2010-01-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

In relation to my earlier item about the Eclipse AVN radio: I forgot to mention that it also sports Bluetooth connection. I have used it with my HTC Tilt (TyTNII) and it works wonderfully.
It connected first time and stays connected and with the included visor mike, the reception both ways is exceptional, almost like being in the same room. I am really impressed with that aspect of the device. My apologies for excluding something that important.

New car radio: well, it's tech!

2010-01-24T13:46:00.001-07:00

While waiting for the deluge of new tablet devices to hit the market, I experienced NTP (New Toy Purchase) withdrawal syndrome,and decided I would look for a new radio in my pickup. (My old Jensen would no longer play CD/DVD's)
After much searching and reviewing I decided I liked the Eclipse AVN762E, which is a double-din (full sized) radio, video, navigation instrument. It has inputs for satellite and HD radio, auxiliary input, iPod and camera.

Next came the justification regarding the need versus price - all you NTP sufferers know about that, right?

After the normal shopping around I found that many sellers had the unit for $1299 - far too much for me. Searching further I found it for $678 at Amazon, and so I went for it (seller was Pacific Stereo)
It shipped out OK and while I was following the progress of the package in transit, I returned to the Amazon store and noted that the unit was now advertised as $718. 'Lucky boy' I thought to myself.

The radio arrived and I had to wait for the following weekend before I had time to install it, which I did without any problem (took me about one hour). After familiarizing myself with the radio, several more days went by and I again visited the Amazon site. This time I noted that the price for the same radio was - wait for it - $788.

I got to tell you that by now I was feeling totally justified, in fact I was patting myself on the back for being very shrewd; just think of the savings I made by buying something that I really didn't NEED at a discounted price!!!

As for the radio's performance:
Audio is very good (I am not an audiophile but it was certainly a big improvement on the Jensen it replaced)
Video reproduction is similarly very good although there are several non-intuitive hoops to go through to get the DVD to play.
USB connected and played as it should, as did the auxiliary input from my Creative Zen W from which I play movies. The thing with this is that you have to disconnect the Zen when quitting the vehicle otherwise it won't recognize it when next started up; not a big deal but although it says the same for the USB drive, it is not necessary for this (!?)

Navigation: I normally use a Garmin 760 and the navigation on the Eclipse paled in comparison.
The maps are at least 2 years out of date -more on that in a minute - there is no street name announcement, and inputting an intersection is not intuitive (and with a lot of addresses missing due to the out-of-date maps, this is something which needs to be done frequently).

The manual is available online only and, again, is just not intuitive. All the information is in there somewhere in the over-one-hundred pages - so printing it out is not an option, really. There is no index and finding something which deals with, for example, how and where to obtain a map update, took me about two days to find. It meant downloading the file and opening each page and carrying out a "find on page" search on each individual page.

One of three email to Eclipse was answered with the statement saying; "There is no mapping update that has been released the first map update is going tobe in Mid Apriland it will be on our web site when released" (sic)

I referred to the normal practice of a company allowing for one free update to maps but received no reply.

Deep in the manual I found a single reference to this stating that I would have to contact the seller for any new maps.

In brief, then; Am I pleased with my purchase? 'Yes, BUT, purchase this unit only if you are willing to accept third-rate service from Eclipse and a third-rate navigation tool.

So, I still carrying my Garmin with me in the car as well but I am currently working on constructing a console unit to make space for the Garmin AND a tablet computer in the center space available on the floor. I have earmarked the HP TX2000 convertible tablet (with touch) for this location - but more on this later.

NanOs

We all speak the same language, right!?

2010-01-24T12:24:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine was speaking of his recent visit to a particular restaurant and remarked on the relaxed atmosphere there.
I agreed, and the word 'ambiance' sprang to mind.

Later that same evening I was relating about the restaurant experience to my wife when it occurred to me that the English way of pronouncing 'ambiance' was probably different than the American way (you know I'm an 'English-American', right?)
Many English people pronounce the word as "om-be-on'ce", after the French fashion, and so I just asked a simple question about American pronunciation of the word.

I said to her; "Do you guys say "ambiance' or 'om-be-on'ce'?"

She looked at me strangely and so I repeated my question to which she smugly replied; "Well, over here we say, 'AMBULANCE'."

Gotta love those Iowegians

NanOs

No news is good news?

2010-01-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

"No news is good news" applies only to a geek's spouse: it means that the geek doesn't have any new gadgetry to lust after and spend his (or her) non-existent money on.
Well, that's the situation on the electronic front right now.
Apart from a few new netbook and laptop offerings, there is not much around on a daily basis; even new cell phones are reduced to a mere dribble. I know there is an awful lot of new stuff in the pipe so we are all playing wait-and-see.
The first to hit the news next week will be the Apple announcement - then we'll see a flurry of posts and blogs - but, until then, there is little to report on; hence my lack of posts over the past week.

Hang loose, Nanosians

NanOs

It's ON! Apple sends out invites

2010-01-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Gizmodo reports:

"As expected, Apple is holding a "special event" on Jan. 27 to "come see our latest creation," with invitations being sent out JUST SECONDS AGO. 10am PST, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco."

Here's the link, although there is not much else to see other than that above

Couple that with the NY Times advising that it will be moving to a paid content model in the next few weeks and we have the NYT Apple tie-in again.

PC World notes:

The Times is expected to announce in the next few weeks details on how the paper plans to charge for its online content, unnamed sources told the New York Magazine. The Times didn't confirm or deny the report, saying it will announce the decision when possible

http://www.pcworld.com

NanOs

Real tech meets one-upmanship

2010-01-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

If you want to be ahead of your friends when it comes to the ultimate in technology then look no farther than the 'for sale' ads. Seek out NASA and there you will find a space shuttle, or two.
Here is a reminder from New Scientist;

Space shuttle for sale, fully loaded, air conditioning, one careful owner. It's the ultimate bargain. NASA has cut the price of a space shuttle to $28.8 million. The vehicles will go on sale after they finish constructing the International Space Station, scheduled to be later this year. The New York Times reports that NASA had hoped to get $42 million for each vehicle but lowered the cost in the hope of sealing a deal. It has three to sell, although one of these, Discovery, is already promised to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

Are you still reading this? Why aren't you on the telephone right now ordering one of those big boys - you know you want to!

Let me know when the purchase is complete and I'll come along on your first flight, just to keep you company.
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2010/01/space-shuttles-for-sale.html

NanOs

eBook comparison

2010-01-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

This post is mainly for one of my readers who is currently contemplating buying an eBook Reader.

Rosa Golijan for Gizmodo compiled it and I will not attempt to summarize or reproduce it here but merely give a link, for those interested, to see a pretty good comparison of seven of the top eBook Readers currently available.

Zoom on over to Gizmodo for Rosa's article:

NanOs

Truth in publishing. Disclosure, I love Google.

2010-01-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I really want Google to succeed with the Nexus One, even though we didn't see the overdue shake up of the entrenched cell phone carriers we all hoped was going to happen. That was wishful thinking and it will happen, but not right now.

This articles covers one side of the Nexus One saga which was news to me when I read an article in the NY Times, just minutes ago.

David Pogue writes about some problems arising with the Nexus One and specifically addresses the contract and ETF (Early Termination Fee) and, wishing to be truthful about all aspects of my articles, although I love Google I want to draw my readers' attention to this article so they can make their own decisions and draw their own conclusions.

Read this for starters . . .

But if you cancel your service before the contract's up, you'll pay an early-termination fee. Makes sense; every carrier charges that fee. Otherwise, the carrier would be stuck with the bill for the phone it gave so cheaply.

The twist here, though, is that you have to pay an early-termination fee to Google--in addition to the one you'll pay T-Mobile!

"Please note that the Equipment Recovery Fee is imposed by Google and not your chosen carrier," says the Nexus fine print, "and is in addition to any early termination fees that may be charged by your chosen carrier."

In other words, depending on when you cancel, you may wind up paying $200 to T-Mobile and $350 to Google. That's $550 in all--more than the full price of the phone ($530)!

I must be missing something here.

I asked Google about this practice, and this was the reply: "Google actually provides a subsidy for devices purchased with T-Mobile USA service. If a consumer cancels service after 14 days, Google recoups this subsidy in the form of an equipment recovery fee. After 120 days, the equipment recovery fee will no longer apply. This is standard practice for third party resellers of T-Mobile and other operators, and you will find similar policies for other mobile service resellers. The reason we do this is to prevent people from taking advantage of the subsidy, only to turn around and sell the phone for profit."

I don't get it. Google has subsidized your phone? And T-Mobile does too? Are we saying that the phone actually costs more than $530?

Some Nexus One buyers may conclude that this is a pretty rank deal: you get a glitchy phone, with no phone number to call for help--and a $550 penalty if you decide to bail.

So far, the New Google Way of cellphones doesn't look a whole lot better than the old one.

You'll find the whole article here.

NanOs

Best iPhone games

2010-01-13T19:32:00.002-07:00

I don't want my iPhone readers to think that I am ignoring them and so, without further ado, I bring a link from Gizmodo with fifty three (53) best iPhone games.

Here are a few of the selected goodies: -
Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor
Doodle Jump
iDracula
Zen Bound
Sway
Space Ninja
Meteor Blitz
Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Jet Car Stunts
Bobby Carrot Forever
Now follow the link and read about all of them; you know you want to.

Remember; "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

NanOs

Sea front property, apply Phoenix, AZ

2010-01-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

We have a joke in Arizona that, with the possibility of 'the BIG ONE' threatening California, when we buy a house in AZ, we are merely investing in future sea-front property.
Well, today's New Scientist carries news that indicates high water may be coming a little closer to Phoenix than we all thought. Apparently a major Antarctic glacier has passed its tipping point,and, after losing increasing amounts of ice over the past decades, it is poised to collapse in a catastrophe that could raise global sea levels by 24 centimeters. To my metric-challenged readers, that about 12 inches

Sounds a bit like global warming, to me.
The article is covered here

NanOs

Nexus One sales

2010-01-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

PC Mag is says that an analyst is reporting around only 20,000 Nexus Ones sold in the first week of sales. Other cell phones have recently sold between 60,000 and 250,000 units in the first week.

Perhaps recent reports that it cost just $175 per unit to make (notwithstanding software and sales expenses) my not be helping. Is a $400 mark up acceptable?

Some are blaming the way it was marketed to T-Mobile/unlocked. Perhaps it was that most thought Google was going to break the mold and bring carriers down to earth and in line with the interests and wishes of the cell phone using public.
What are your thoughts?

Nanos

Apple 4G iPhone, coming later this year??

2010-01-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Actually, not that much later. Korea Times reports that; "KT, an exclusive local partner of Apple to sell iPhone, plans to introduce an upgraded version of the device ― 4G iPhone ― to the domestic market in April at the earliest..

The iPhone 4G will have an OLED screen, support video chat and -- perhaps most surprisingly -- have a removable battery. It'll also reportedly have a dual-core processor, more powerful graphics and an improved camera.

Release means in Korea, of course. So how about a release in the US?
Is this just a carefully released leak to combat all the recent Google news? Who knows?

NanOs

And now for something different; a rant against Apple

2010-01-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well, this seems to be the day for rants. This time it's coming from Jesus Diaz over at Gizmodo who seems very annoyed at Apple for banning a photo viewing called ForChan.
Apparently ForChan can display all sorts of photos; so far so good. When I say all photos, I mean any photograph circulating on the web which, of course, includes some which various people consider unwanted (read pornographic).

YES NO

So what? argues Jesus. Apple-supplied Safari web browser can do just the same. It all depends on the intent or wishes of the viewer.

He makes some good points and aims them all at Apple censorship, but then, this isn't the first time Apple has been accused of this.
Read his opinion at http://gizmodo.com/5446287/apple-its-time-to-delete-safari-from-the-iphone

NanOs

The China incident, from Google, itself.

2010-01-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the post from Google regarding the cyber attack incident. (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/)
Perhaps I am premature aiming my previous blog's comments at the Chinese government, but it doesn't take much common sense and previous knowledge of the history of Chinese political philosophy to attribute the blame accordingly. Does anyone remember the limitations the Chinese government placed on potential technology providers just s few years ago. This information comes as no surprise.

Here is Google's release below, in full:

A new approach to China

1/12/2010 03:00:00 PM

Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. However, it soon became clear that what at first appeared to be solely a security incident--albeit a significant one--was something quite different.

First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses--including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors--have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S. authorities.

Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Based on our investigation to date we believe their attack did not achieve that objective. Only two Gmail accounts appear to have been accessed, and that activity was limited to account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.

Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack on Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties. These accounts have not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on the users' computers.

We have already used information gained from this attack to make infrastructure and architectural improvements that enhance security for Google and for our users. In terms of individual users, we would advise people to deploy reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for their operating systems and to update their web browsers. Always be cautious when clicking on links appearing in instant messages and emails, or when asked to share personal information like passwords online. You can read more here about our cyber-security recommendations. People wanting to learn more about these kinds of attacks can read this U.S. government report (PDF), Nart Villeneuve's blog andthis presentation on the GhostNet spying incident.

We have taken the unusual step of sharing information about these attacks with a broad audience not just because of the security and human rights implications of what we have unearthed, but also because this information goes to the heart of a much bigger global debate about freedom of speech. In the last two decades, China's economic reform programs and its citizens' entrepreneurial flair have lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty. Indeed, this great nation is at the heart of much economic progress and development in the world today.

We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time we made clear that "we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to China."

These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.

The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult issues raised.

NanOs
Posted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

Google p'ed off with China

2010-01-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

From a report by the NY Times:

Google Threatens Pullout From China After E-Mail Accounts Are Hacked

Google threatened to end its operations in China after it discovered that the e-mail accounts of human rights activists
had been breached.

The company said it had detected a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China." Google says further investigation revealed that "a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists." Google did not specifically accuse the Chinese government. But the company added that it is "no longer willing to continue censoring our results" on its Chinese search engine, as the government requires. Google says the decision could force it to shut down its Chinese site and its offices in the country.

If this is true, and I suspect it is, then it's about time Google stood up to the Chinese authorities; same goes for all the others doing business with China and operating within its anti-human rights requirements.

Google is not the only ones operating there, you know!

Sorry, but this sort of human rights infringement gets me mad.

A fuller account from Google itself immediately follows this post.

NanOs

Constant volume from your TV

2010-01-10T10:13:00.002-07:00

Fed up with your TV volume varying up and down, especially between programs and adverts? Well Gefen Inc have a solution for you and here is the blurb straight from their page.

Keep the volume constant while enjoying TV or music

Ensure the same volume output from your multimedia program, regardless of input level. The GefenTV Auto Volume Stabilizer is located close to your TV, resulting in stable, consistent and smooth sound levels, accepting two-channel LPCM or L/R analog audio input types. Use the bypass button on the front of the unit, or via the IR remote, to flip between movies, which have a wide dynamic range, and TV, where the volume can vary considerably between program output and commercials.

How It Works

Place the GefenTV Auto Volume Stabilizer near your TV or A/V receiver. Route your audio sources into the input side of the Stabilizer. Feed the audio output to your TV or A/V receiver. Power up all connected equipment. Select the active audio source using the input selector buttons or the included IR remote. Sit back and and enjoy volume-stabilized audio on its own or with video.

So, if you are ready to order one at $179, they are taking orders right now at http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=8707
Ht to Peggy Watt at PC World

NonOs

Windows 7 theme, and a geek link

2010-01-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

Hands up those who have not moved Windows 7 yet.
I thought as much, well that is really bad luck because there is a great desktop Win7 theme available with changing Renoir wallpapers. It really is quite beautiful and is available here at http://gabrielcupertino.deviantart.com/. I am supposing it could be made to run on XP or possible on a Mac OS but . . .

Talking of links, I'd also like to introduce you to The HowTo Geeks. You can visit their site or subscribe to a daily email and find some great thing to do with your Mac or PC (whether XP or Win7)
Sure there is some real geeky stuff, but there are also some neat little tricks for making your computing experience easier and brighter. The Renoir theme link came from the How To Geeks. Give it a try.

CES update

2010-01-09T22:46:00.003-07:00

How about a see-through touch screen to start with?

An Amoled netbook with a transparent screen. Just proof of concept at this time but apparently usable.

Lenovo have a few new products, like the all-in-one A300 which is just 18.5 mm deep (2.5 mm = 1"). Now that's thin for an all-in-one.
They also have the not-yet-in-production U1 Hybrid previously covered here. It's the netbook with detachable working screen unit (I can see potential here - and I also see me buying one - would you believe!)

Then there's the Light Blue Optics projector, recently covered here

Or this 'Wave Face' concept from Asus which is a projection of what could be possible in the future, according to them. I am posting a video of it (courtesy of John Herrman, Gizmodo) not because it is interesting as a whole, but I want readers (viewers) to note the gadget which is all screen and foldable at the 30 second mark. I've mentioned products like this in my previous blogs. This IS the future, and it could be here within two years: the technology for this already exists in it's various components

Asus - Waveface Concept Video from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

Here's the Sony Dash internet viewer . . .yawn

Perhaps this Samsung mobile thin screen does it for you?

If you look hard you can just make it out :-)

Well, It's late so I'll bring you more tomorrow. I'll just thank Gizmodo for the above info and pics.

NanOs

CES - This isn't good!

2010-01-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Not being at CES this year I had to take on a lot of reading to keep up with what's happening there and what is new and exciting.
From all that reading I then try to bring you a synopsis of everything I have found, and here it is;

"YAWN"!!!!

There are a few mediocre items being reported on but, frankly I don't see anything new that I haven't brought to your attention in previous articles, or at least drawn your attention to by reference.

I will bring something for your edification tomorrow. Right now, it's time for a drink while I watch the film "UP". I do love that dog, 'Doug'.

Now I'm mellowing and I'm sort of glad I didn't got to Las Ve-- 'Squirrel' - - -

NanOs

Word 2007

2010-01-06T16:52:00.002-07:00

I have been force fed Microsoft 2007 at work and I am totally frustrated with Word 2007.
What the . . . (deleted) . . . (more deleted)
Why did they . . . (deleted) . . . (more deleted), and so on.

I'm outta here before I go insane (blows a raspberry)

Nannoo, nannoo

Microsoft and HP slate?

2010-01-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

The NY Times is suggesting that Steve Balmer will be leading the Microsoft tomorrow (Wed) at CES with an HP slate
Could this be the Courier, they suggest.
Personally I'd be surprised if it was; the Courier in not like a slate (at least the one we have seen pictures of). Also, I recall reading about one month ago that HP were working on a slate with Asian partners, Faxcomm, I believe BUT, why should Microsoft unveil an HP slate? Hmmmm! This could be exciting.

Here is the NYT article for those who want the whole ~~rumor~~ news.

NanOs

CES Day, and The Rationalizations of The Mobile Barbarian

2010-01-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

CES is starting in Vegas. Get ready for a flood of new gadgets and ideas, and expect slate/tablets to feature strongly.
Someone I follow constantly, 'Chippy' from http://www.umpcportal.com/ will be there sending us lots of electronic goodness. I'll try to pick out the best bits for you and post them here as they come in.

While you are at it, take a trip over The Mobile Barbarian and have some fun watching it's author, Jeff, aka Genghis Khent, struggling with himself over buying a new Nexus One phone by Google.
Hint: Read the last half dozen of his post to see the internal struggle develop. I sympathize with him - but it is fun to see it all unfold :-)
Enjoy!

NanOs

Light Blue Optics' projection touchscreen

2010-01-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

How about this new item from Light Blue Optics.

It projects an interactive image onto almost any surface where it becomes an effective touchscreen.
Here's what they have to say about their product: -

Light Touch™ is an interactive projector that instantly transforms any flat surface into a touch screen. It frees multimedia content from the confines of the small screen, allowing users to interact with that content just as they do on their hand held devices – using multi-touch technology.

Light Touch™ has Holographic Laser Projection(HLP™) technology inside which creates bright, high-quality video images in WVGA resolution. Integrated infrared sensors detect motion and turn the projected image into a 10.1″ virtual touch screen, so the user can control the projector and interact with applications simply by touching the image.

This will be a common way of interacting in 10 years time.

NanOs

Lenovo U1 Hybrid

2010-01-04T21:45:00.001-07:00

First the picture:

Yep, an 11.5 inch netbook with a detachable screen which can function on its own.
This gadget can function as a regular netbook (rather a laptop at this size) or you can instantly remove the screen and use it as a multi-touch slate. It runs on up to 4GB RAM (512 in slate mode) and the laptop runs an Intel Core2 Duo and the screen, when detached, runs a Qualcomm ARM Snapdragon.
They have the ability to share battery power, 3G wireless mobile broadband, and data.

All the other usual bits and pieces that make a decent laptop are present and has (as a slate only) a claimed 6 hours use - 5 hours running 3G.

Remind you of anything?
How about this picture of the AlwaysInnovating Touchbook/ (follow the link for more on that one). This released to market mid last year but I haven't heard anything about it since.

Anyway, at a proposed $999 you can get it for real around June, 2010

More info on the Lenovo from blog.laptopmag.com/

NanOs

Fencing: I wish I had done that!

2010-01-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

It occurs to me sometimes how I wish I had studied fencing when I was younger.
Fencing would have given me an edge with the women when I was younger ;-) My wife still thinks I am an airline pilot and part-time brain surgeon.

Surely you all have something you wished you had done?
Put it in the comments and let me know about it.

Win7 God Mode

2010-01-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

I know some of my readers will be aware of this trick but for those who are not here is a tip of how to place all the Windows 7 control items in one, easily-accessible place

Here it is in all its glory from JKOnTheRun who acknowledges Dwight Silverman for the lead. - - -

As nice as Windows 7 is to use let’s face it — we always want total control over the computing environment. What we really want is to have total control in an easy-to-use form that puts everything at our fingertips. Enter the super secret Windows 7 God Mode.

God Mode is a simple folder that brings all aspects of Windows 7 control in a single place. It collects all of the Control Panel functions, interface customization, accessibility options, just about every aspect of controlling Windows 7 into a single place.

God Mode is easy to set up too, just do this:
Create a new folder anywhere.
Rename the folder by pasting this name exactly as it appears (copy it first):
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

There it is, really easy and really useful.

Enjoy

NanOs

OMG, ROTFLOL: That'll be $2.37, Sir

2010-01-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

HT to PPCGeeks for pointing to an entry in the US Patent and Trademarks Office.
IBM are patenting the abbreviations used in, mainly, texting. You know, the sort of thing us poor, financially-drained consumers use every day.

Here is the extract you need to know in order to make your own mind up about this move: -
(whole entry at this link)

Resolution of abbreviated text in an electronic communications system

AbstractElectronic messaging systems, a machine-accessible medium, and methods for text-based electronic communication. In one embodiment, a plurality of databases are provided. The databases each define shorthand terms with one or more longhand terms. A shorthand term is targeted within a text message, and the databases are searched for corresponding longhand terms. The longhand terms are selected for display according to factors such as user preferences, the identities of participants to the text communication, and the context of the text message. Abbreviations, shorthand, and other jargon sent by one user is thereby interpreted. For example, one of the longhand terms may be substituted in-line with the text message. Alternatively, all matches for the shorthand term found in the databases may be listed in descending order according to relevancy.

Inventors:	Baartman; Randall Paul (Rochester, MN), Carey; James Edward (Rochester, MN), Illg; Jason J. (Rochester, MN), Mysak; John Stephen (Rochester, MN)
Assignee:	International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)
Appl. No.:	11/468,193
Filed:	August 29, 2006

And there you have it. Does this sort of thing really need a patent? What is the ulterior motive for this?
I leave my readers to consider the implications of this.

Happy texting, NanOsians

NanOs

Google Tablet and more of that Bonnier thing

2010-01-03T13:43:00.001-07:00

Two related topics in this article; Google tablet and digital magazine content use.

You may recall I put up a video of a slate magazine reader concept which was under development by publishers, Bonnier and others including designer agency, Berg.

The term Mag+ tablet has been seen around. (What about "Maglet"?)

Anyway, here is an updated video (4.39 mins) showing it in action as one might use it in the wild, so to speak.

It's the future of things and so those of you who have not seen it before might want to take a look.

Mag+ (video prototype footage only) from Bonnier on Vimeo.

AND, Google and HTC (think Nexus One collaboration) are working together again and may be producing the Google tablet (They really must start calling these things "Slates", unless there is some copyright on the term)

Gizmodo put this info out there and adds that it might be seen as a competitor to the Apple slate but suggests that too much effort has gone into the Apple to claim a direct comparison. I agree.

We will soon see lots of similar slates out there all with varying degrees of usefulness; remember how it was with the first netbooks? And that was barely a year and a half ago when they first come out. Very soon there will be something for all tastes.

BTW The magazine in the video is 'Popular Science'. I subscribe and would like to be able to view my mag the way they do in the video. I also take the electronic version of PC Mag - this could do with the same treatment. BUT , Scientific American and Nat. Geographic in this format - now we're cooking on gas!

NanOs

Round up

2010-01-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

First things first: - A very Happy New Year to you all. I hope the year brings you improved health and wealth and that you achieve at least one important goal that you have been working towards for some time.

I know I have been quiet recently but it is purely lack of any decent news lately. Well you know how it is around the holiday season - one national holiday and the whole Country grinds to a crawl. So here are just a few quick notes, and thoughts.

The Apple tablet will probably be announced on 1/27/09 and will be called the 'iSlate'. It is promising to be expensive and hit the market around March/April
There continues to be speculation but no real information about the Microsoft Courier and there are some ridiculously low prices being thrown around for this piece of vapor-ware
Google's Nexus One will be released on 1/5/10 and will be available unlocked at $530 or from T-Mobile (with 2 year plan) at about $180. I want one - without a plan - but I don't think I will be forking out that sort of dosh.
A new item called DataJack is on the market and, apparently, available right now. I say 'apparently' because besides offering the service now on their web site, their hype also claims it will be introduced at the upcoming CES. Go figure. Anyway; it is a USB gadget and it offers all you can eat data only for around $39 (plus one-time purchase cost for the gadget of $99). Actually it sounds quite good and just the thing for a notebook, etc. Find more at http://datajack.com/products. Sounds interesting.
I thought hard about the $399 Camangi Webstation earlier this week but all reports are it's too sluggish. Frankly, at $399, it's a mite too costly for a so-so gadget.
The CIA will be looking into the effectiveness and activities of the online Islamic clerics who encourage recruiting for Al Qaeda. Well, duh! And, by the way, what possible excuse can the authorities give for dropping the ball on the latest terrorist bungle???

So much for notes, now for the thoughts for the New Year:

If the Solstice represents the shortest day of the year, why don't we commence the New Year the following day?
Would it make a great difference to humankind if we had two opposable thumbs on each hand?
At this point in time, why doesn't the number of electric cars on the road outnumber the gasoline vehicles

That'll do.

Happy New Year!

NanOs

The New Apple: Everything you wanted to know - and still ask questions

2009-12-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

Matt Buchannan at Gizmodo has put together an "All you could ever want to know about the new Apple iTablet/iPad/iSlate, IF it really is coming.

Matt covers the Where, When, Who, How and Why of this elusive gadget and it makes mighty interesting reading. He has been pretty much all-inclusive in his lengthy but readable article and I urge readers who are interested, to go to http://gizmodo.com/5434566/the-exhaustive-guide-to-apple-tablet-rumors and take it all in. (Take a look at those goofy, extra-terrestrial-like hands on Fig. 25; creepy!)

As for the Microsoft Courier; well who knows. It still looks as though it is real but other than a rough March 2010 date, there is little more news at this time.

For me: If the Apple turns out at around 10 to 12 inches - and not cost an arm and a leg - I can see myself settling for both the Apple AND the Courier. Now that's geekiness for you.
What are my readers thinking?

NanOs

Apple plus iSlate, hmmmm

2009-12-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

Apple up to something?

From Gizmodo

NanOs

Season's Greetings

2009-12-23T22:10:00.003-07:00

I missed the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Solstice by a few days; my apologies for that - but I won't be late to wish

Seasons' Greetings

to my treasured readers.

Thank you for reading my drivel and for your feedback.

NanOs

End of Jan, 2010 debut for iTablet?

2009-12-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Latest rumor is that Apple have booked a venue for a few days at the end of January, 2010.
From forums.appleinsider.com: -
Apple has reportedly scheduled a media event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Tuesday Jan. 26, 2010, for a major product announcement.

From this and other sources, it seems to me that a 7" screen device may be on the cards as this suggests: -
Apple asked developers to prepare full screen versions of their apps for a January demo. Apple reportedly wanted software to scale beyond the 320x480 pixel size of the current iPhone and iPod touch screen, but said that applications that can accommodate the larger screen size will run "just fine" on the new device.

Like several commentators to this news, I really fail to see the benefit of a 7' screen, It's just a bumped up iPod. '. . . want to scale beyond 320x480 . . .'? I should damn well think so!
We'll see pretty soon, I guess.

HT to Cherie (and watch out for strange men on your porch!)

NanOs

Walk and email without killing yourself

2009-12-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

I thought most people knew about this app but, having mentioned about it here and there, obviously some of you don't know it exists - so . . .

Walk n' Talk is an iPhone app that allows you to see the way in front as you walk and type out an email at the same time. Simple really, it just engages the front-facing camera and projects the image in real time onto the screen where the typing is taking place. That way you can see what is in front of you.

(Foto courtesy of Gizmodo)
Of course, with that dog in front, you'll want to be sure you don't step in any "Richard the 3rd's". (Cockney rhyming slang)
Mind you, smart NanOs readers are already speaking their email - aren't they?! (Remember the article about Dragon Mobile Voice app?)

NanOs

Crowdsourcing - best done with web-watchers

2009-12-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

Sinister or helpful - you decide.

So far crowdsourcing has been associated with well-meaning altruism, such as the creation and maintenance of Wikipedia or searching for lost aviators. But crowdsourcing of a different flavour has started to emerge.

Law enforcement officials in Texas have installed a network of CCTV cameras to monitor key areas along that state's 1900-kilometre-long border with Mexico. To help screen the footage, a website lets anyone log in to watch a live feed from a border camera and report suspicious activity. A similar system calledInternet Eyes, which pays online viewers to spot shoplifters from in-store camera feeds, is set to launch in the UK in 2010. An Iranian website is offering rewards for identifying people in photos taken during protests over June's elections.

Read the articles from the New Scientist and see if you are willing to be used.

NanOs

Apple interested in subscription, online TV?

2009-12-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

Apple is eliciting tentative interest from some networks in its proposal to offer a TV subscription package via the Internet. Theoretically, customers would be able to tune in online, allowing them to cancel their cable or satellite subscriptions.

ABC and CBS are among the networks that are considering joining the Apple venture, people close to the talks said Monday night.

Personally, I am fed up paying over $100 each month for over 500 channels of which I watch only TEN !!

Anything has to be better that what we have now and I am all for internet TV - but not at any cost, just more choice of access.

Read this brief article from the NY Times

NanOs

I'm starting to get concerned about greedy carriers

2009-12-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or am I noticing a frightening trend of new gadgets being tied to telephone carriers?
Almost every new toy that comes along with 3G, or whatever, mentions as an aside, that the gadget will sell for a really reasonable price - - - WITH CONTRACT!

What the heck: It's even rumored in connection with the (promised) Google phone, the 'Nexus'.

It would be really bad news if these greedy leviathans get their greasy maulers all over every new gadget out there. That would stifle not only free choice, but free enterprise and innovation.

Just a thought: NanOs

The future of reading?

2009-12-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

I would like my readers to view the video, below.
It's about just one of the concepts for taking newspaper and magazine reading to the next, electronic level.

It's 8 mins long and what it lacks for in dynamics, it makes up for in content and wow-factor.
(Lovers of InkSeine and Windows Surface - notice something in there for you?)

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.

Although it appears to allow for typing notes on the content, I hope it will also allow for handwritten (ink) notes.
All in all, I'm on board with this concept.

NanOs

New tablets (about to be) released

2009-12-20T12:45:00.001-07:00

Firstly, sorry for not posting anything over the past few days - flu grabbed hold of me!
I have been following with interest a few recent releases about some tablets which should be on the market real soon. (Perhaps we should start calling them 'slates'?)

Notion Ink are working hard on an Android tablet, 'SmartPad' which should be introduced at the upcoming CES (Jan 7 - 10, in Vegas). Here are some specs:
It has a 10.1-inch 1024-by-600-pixel screen, an Nvidia Tegra T20 chipset for full 1080p video capability, WiFi, tri-band 3G, Bluetooth, A-GPS, accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors, USB and HDMI sockets, and a 3-megapixel autofocus camera. There's either a 32GB or 64GB solid state drive and an SD slot for augmented storage. And, wait for it, it is rumored to be equipped with the PixelQi screen!
It is claiming a full 16 hours battery with Wi-Fi on - Wow!

And here are the full specs:

Go to the Notion Ink's pages for more info direct from them.

AND NEXT:

From ICD comes the 7" 'Ultra' and the 15" 'Vega'
Like the Notion, above, they all run the new nVidia Tegra T20 chipset. Here is the Ultra:

And the back view of the Vega:

The circle of dots you can see are the connectors and the magnetic strip which connects to the device stand.
See here and here for more information and photos.
Here are the specs for the smaller Ultra:

Android 2.0 Eclair; 186mm x 158mm x 18mm; 7" Touchscreen; NVIDIA Tegra; 512 DDR / 512 NAND; 1.3 MP Web Cam; 4GB Internal; SD (non removable); Micro SD; Bluetooth 2.1; Wireless 802.11 b/g; USB 2.0; 2g/3g Data; Cellular; 3.5mm Audio Jack; Accelerometer; Ambient light sensor; Dual digital microphones; FM Radio

Drooling? I am

NanOs

Clever Scam – taking advantage of older men.

2009-12-13T20:09:00.002-07:00

This timely submission from John Dxxxxx could help protect our senior male citizens from these blatant attempts to prey on their vulnerability. Don't say you haven't been warned.

Women often receive warnings about protecting themselves at  the mall and in dark parking lots, etc. This is the first warning I have seen for men. I wanted to pass it on in case you haven't heard about it. This will only become more  commonplace as the weather warms up next spring. A 'heads up' for those men who may be regular Lowe's, Home  Depot, or Costco customers. This one caught me by surprise.

Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite  traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.      
Here's how the  scam works:

Two seriously  good-looking 20-something girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the trunk. They both start  wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, their  breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look. When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' and instead ask you for a ride to McDonalds.

You agree and they get into the back seat. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts  crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet  stolen June 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, 24th, & 29th. Also July 1st & 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th & 28th, three times last Monday and  very likely again this upcoming weekend.

So tell your friends to be careful. What a horrible way to take advantage  of older men. Warn your friends to be vigilant.

Wal-Mart has wallets on sale for $2.99. I found cheaper ones for $1.99 at K- Mart and bought them out. Also, you never will get to eat at McDonalds. I've already lost 11 pounds just running back and forth to Lowe's, Home Depot, and Costco.

Thanks to this brave pioneer and often-assaulted citizen, John Dxxxxx, the older male now knows what to look out for.
(Don't forget to keep those windshields dirty and back seats clear of obstructions.)

NOTE: John's full name has not been published in order to protect his standing in our community.

NanOs

The Google phone is a coming!

2009-12-12T20:01:00.001-07:00

Looks like Google are about to market their very own cell phone; unlocked and self-branded. Carrying Android (of course) as its OS, there is a lot of excitement about this prospect.

They have already passed it out to ~~the guinea pigs~~ Google employees for testing out in real time.

Could this be it?

It will be conmming in January, 2010, and working on the GSM network.

Techcrunch adds:

"The phone is “really, really fast,” says someone who has seen one in action. It runs on a Snapdragon chip, has a super high-resolution OLED touchscreen, is thinner than the iPhone, has no keyboard, and two mics. The mic on the back of the phone helps eliminate background noise, and it also has a “weirdly” large camera for a phone. And if you don’t like the touchscreen keyboard, a voice-to-text feature is supposed to let you dictate emails and notes by speaking directly into the phone."

Now, I either have to wait, or find a Google employee to mug: any volunteers?

From Techcrunch

NanOs

Play it safe- pick a number

2009-12-12T19:44:00.001-07:00

Reader Emily passed the following information which could save readers a lot of worry. A company, iNumbr, runs a free service providing a virtual number.
Although there are other companies offering similar services, to my knowledge, iNumbr is the only one offering it for FREE (I stand to be corrected). Here is what they say: -

"Talk without sharing your real number. Get a virtual phone number that will forward calls to any phone. iNumbr makes it simple to control who can call you and when."

Interested, give it a spin at http://www.inumbr.com/
(Note, that is inumbr without the 'e' in it - that will take you to a different site)

Crunchpad lawsuit filed

2009-12-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

Michael Arrington of Crunchpad fame states he has filed a suit against Chandrasekar Rathakrishnan of Fusion Garage

He starts the statement saying; -
"Thursday afternoon we filed a lawsuit against Fusion garage in the Northern District of California Federal court. The causes of action include Fraud and Deceit, Misappropriation of Business Ideas, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Unfair Competitition and Violations of the Lanham Act. . .

. . . This was the first time I’ve ever filed a lawsuit, and it was certainly not the way I thought the whole CrunchPad project would end when I first wrote about the idea in July 2008."

He ends by adding that . . .
"Chandra ('who isn't a good guy') and Fusion Garage have shown a long term pattern of deceit in their business dealings. There is no reason to think that anything will change now."

See the whole statement at http://www.techcrunch.com

NanOs

Apple tablet; an update(?)

2009-12-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

This information from Fudzilla.com about the Apple tablet:

(The Apple tablet) Will enter production in February to ship in March

In another chapter of what seems to be the never ending saga of the Apple tablet, our sources tell us that Apple is close to giving the green light to their manufacturing partners to start the initial production run in February, with Apple being ready to start selling the 10.1” version of the tablet in mid to late March.

According to our sources, the retail price for the 10.1” version of the Apple tablet PC will be coming in at around $1,000 USD retail when it hits the streets. Because of all of the hype of the tablet product Apple is said to be going to great lengths to make sure that they can minimize the possibility of shortages by getting ahead of the curve and having a good amount of product before the actual street date.
http://www.fudzilla.com

At $1,000 I actually believe they will move a considerable number, if not all, of the rumored 1.5 million initial units. Considering the prices of the iPhone and iPod, which I personally believe are too high, $1,000 sounds about right. I would like to think that $700 was a better, more realistic price - but we all know Apple.

Will I be buying one?

I have to admit that I didn't even get to try an iPhone until my better half suddenly just had to have one (about 6 months ago) and 'yes', I like it; very much actually. And so the answer will be that I may be on the early adopter train, but not in the first coach.

How about Microsoft's Courier?

I think it is going to be more of a niche product for people who really have productive careers or lifestyles, and that is not me but, again, 'yes'.

Well, what would a geek be without doing crazy things like this; eh, Jeff?

Ah, married life is bliss!

NanOs

2009-12-10T00:13:00.000-07:00

If you haven't tried this already, you owe it to yourself to do so; 'Google Fast Flip'

What it does is give you "blindingly fast overviews of headline pages of top newspapers".
And that is exactly what it does. It brings the viewer four rows of current newspapers (including TechCrunch) in a side-scrolling display. You can maximize or minimize the three rows which cover Popular; Sections, Topics and Sources, and you can personalize the sources, etc.

In the photo below (click for enlargement) you can see that each of these rows contain other topics so you can quickly view more of what interests you - and less of that which does not; and it IS fast. There is so much to it that you really need to visit and explore. Finding something that is worth your time means a click or two at the most and, like all things Google, it is FREE.

So, I suggest you give it a try by clicking here and get instant gratification. Just the thing with a nice cup of tea and a few 'Morning Tea' biscuits (cookies to you).

NanOs

NanOs Footnotes: - Ten fascinating facts about beauty

2009-12-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

In the light vein of the season, nothing technical in this article.
My female readers should thank their lucky stars they have modern day make up that doesn't kill them! Here are ten little-known facts about beauty - just for fun: -

1. The term for a makeup artist in Egyptian hieroglyphic is derived from the root "sesh," which means, "to write, to engrave." Makeup application was taken pretty seriously back then: the same accuracy was needed to paint lips as to write out a text.

2. Perfume was central to Egyptian civilization and was used for both cosmetic and medical purposes. For example, Kyphi, one of the most famous Egyptian perfumes, made from flowers, honey, wine and berries, was also prepared as a drink to cure lung, intestinal, and liver problems. That said, don't go chugging a bottle of Chanel No. 5 to cure your next hangover.

3. In ancient Greece, the most sought-after hair color was blond. Not many Greeks were naturally blond, so light hair was probably perceived as beautiful because it was so exotic. Women would lighten their hair using plant extracts or arsenic(!). They also washed their locks with a mixture of ashes, olive oil, and water.

4. People have been playing, "kitchen beautician" since the Middle Ages, when various foods were used as beauty aids. Curdled milk was applied to acne, cucumber juice removed freckles, while boiled nettles produced a smooth, even complexion. Women even attempted to remove wrinkles with the help of ointments made of wax and almond oil, or crocodile fat.

5. It's a shame that extensions weren't available during the Heian Period when a Japanese woman's beauty was judged by the length of her hair, since the ideal was considered almost two feet longer than her waist. We're assuming that ponytails were a popular hairstyle back then

6. In Renaissance Italy women created the ultimate red lip and cheek stain by mixing cochineal, sandalwood or cinnabar with wax or grease. The application process was complex, but the red color lasted for over a week, even if she washed her face everyday.

7. Despite being called the "Golden Age of Spain," having a tan was a serious beauty faux pas back then. In an effort to maintain a porcelain complexion, young women would eat clay, even though it often caused anemia or chlorosis. In the late 18th century, members of The French Court such as Marie-Antoinette also obsessed over having flawless alabaster skin. They faked it with thick layers of white powder (made out of everything from white lead and talc to pulverized bone) combined with wax, whale blubber, or vegetable oil to give the face makeup a greasy consistency that adhered to the skin.

8. Lipstick was considered an essential item for female nurses in the armed forces during the Second World War, both to remind women that they were ladies first and military second, and because it might have a calming effect on the male soldiers. (Although most experts now say that guys get really turned on when a girl wears red lipstick.)

9. Before L'Oréal launched the first mass market hairspray in 1960, women had to choose between slicking their hair down with a greasy brilliantine or using a mechanical sprayer to coat it with shellac dissolved in a solution of water and alcohol.

10. A 1991 study showed that female politicians who employed Hollywood makeup artists and photographers were 30% more likely to win elections, simply by grooming her eyebrows, wearing certain colored blouses, and smiling.

I think that if I were around back then and run into one of these 'beauties', I'd run a mile, not get turned on; imagine a woman not having washed too often and with all that grease and muck on her face.

You modern gals have got it made, and bless you for that!
The above facts from http://www.cosmopolitan.com

NanOs

Why didn't they tell me?! Dragon Mobile Voice

2009-12-08T19:49:00.001-07:00

We have all heard of Dragon Naturally Speaking, by Nuance, I've been using it on and off for several years and have frequently contacted them by email asking when they might be making an iteration for mobile phones.
They have usually replied, too, saying that it wasn't even on the horizon and then, out of the blue, they announce a free - I repeat FREE - app for the iPhone.
Why didn't they tell me, didn't they already know I wanted this app.

From the Nuance site;
"With Dragon Dictation, you can text or email your friends, update Facebook status, send notes and reminders to yourself, or tweet to the world… all using your voice . . ."
And; "Dragon Dictation is an easy-to-use voice recognition application powered by Dragon NaturallySpeaking that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your text or email messages. In fact, it’s up to five (5) times faster than typing on the keyboard."
They are almost ready to release their search agent, too, which will work with most of the well known search engines.

I have always liked Nuance because it works and works well and I see from their feedback pages, it seems to be going down very well.
I have tried it and it is so simple. I believe that, like their other products, it pays to correct misspellings so it becomes accustomed to your voice and accent. (The only trouble I had was with names, everything else was understood first time, every time.)
As I understand, it doesn't yet hook you up with a contact by voice but I am sure that will soon be possible.

If you have an iPhone, I would recommend you get it and give it a turn round the block.
Here is a link to the Dragon Apps site Go, drool, download!

NanOs

The snowman answer

2009-12-08T17:42:00.000-07:00

No, it's not a snowman on the moon. No one got it right, so here's the answer to the link between this particular snowman and technology: -

This snowman is 1/5 the width of a human hair! That's right, read this short article of the details.

Experts at the National Physical Laboratory in West London made the miniature figure which is just 0.01mm across.
However, far from the thrill of rolling balls of snow around a field to build their masterpiece, it was assembled using tools designed for manipulating nanoparticles.
The snowman is made of two tiny tin beads, normally used to calibrate electron microscope lenses, which were welded together with platinum.
A focused ion beam was used to carve the snowman’s eyes and smile, and to deposit a tiny blob of platinum for the nose
It was put together by Dr David Cox, a member of the Quantum Detection group at the laboratory, who also took the picture.

Where's his hat???

NanOs

It's that time of the year!

2009-12-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a poser.
Seeing this is the time for snow in most parts of the USA, here is a picture of a cute snowman. You know it is tech related so I want you to write in/comment and tell me the relevance of the picture to technology.

You have two days to guess. The prize is just kudos for being tech-smart - sorry, I don't have money to throw at you.

NanOs

Cheap v expensive HDMI cables

2009-12-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

A reader asked me yesterday about the difference between the cheap and the expensive HDMI cables available.

During my last, recent visit to BestBuy and Walmart I noted that BestBuy had HDMI cables priced from $29 up to $79 (up to $149 on their website) and Walmart started at about $24.
Why anyone would pay $149 for a simple HDMI cable beats me, especially seeing that a cheaper cable works just as good. My reader advised that when he asked a salesperson, he was urged to buy a cable at around $59.

Strangely enough, and quite unplanned, I am echoing an article from Gizmodo about HDTV (below) and part of the information is about HDMI cables. For those who do not wish to read the whole of the HDTV article, I have reproduced the section about the cables here.

FYI: I checked out the suggested link and found 4ft cables starting at $8: Newegg had them starting at $8.99.

Here is the snippet from the whole HDTV article (which appears in the previous NanOsNote)

HDMI
Honestly, the only thing you really need to know about but the High-Definition Multimedia Interface—you know,HDMI—is that the cables in most retail stores cost waaaaaay too much. If you pay anything over $10 for an HDMI cable, you are getting suckered. Order cheaper cables from Monoprice.com and other retailers—they do just fine as long as you're not installing them inside your walls. (If you're doing that, you should pick something heavily coated and insulated, and built to last a few generations of TV.) Oh, and there's a new version coming out—HDMI 1.4—that supports higher resolutions and internet. Not only will that require brand new HDMI cables, it will require new TVs and new content too, so it's a ways off.

NanOs

Simple yet complete guide to bigscreen TV buying.

2009-12-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

As Gizmodo says, a lot of people will be considering buying a new or 2nd (3rd, etc) TV this holiday season and today it has written up a very comprehensive and readable article.

Matt Buchanan makes it easy to do some knowledgeable shopping as he describes everything from hertz to refresh rates to LCD v plasma, as he leads you through 'The Ultimate HDTV Cheat Sheet'.

He indicates that a 720p plasma TV right now makes a good buy (certainly, in my opinion, for a 2nd room) and, from my recent window shopping trips, I can confirm that there are some very well known brands out there with 42" (and above) plasmas at well under $1,000.
Go here to read the guide and make an informed TV choice.

NanOs

NanOs Footnotes: Want real 3D? Use a sheet of paper!

2009-12-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

The New Scientist web site is carrying information on a new technique to display 3D images with information of the human body, topography, in fact almost anything which has three dimensions.

Devised by Raimund Dachselt's team at the University of Magdeburg in Germany, the new system consists of a ceiling-mounted projector and infrared camera positioned directly above a horizontal screen, which displays an image of interest to the user. Several more projected images related to the one on display can be "stacked" in the 3D space above the table.

The trick is that the paper – dubbed a Paperlens – carries infrared-reflecting markers. The ceiling-mounted camera tracks those markers and a computer calculates the Paperlens's position and orientation to an accuracy of 1 centimetre in all directions.
It appears to do all this seemlessly.

Roel Vertegaal at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, has seen the Paperlens system in action and thinks that projector displays like this will be useful in some situations. "This has obvious advantages if the technology is used to operate on patients," he says. "You can project information directly onto the patient – you can't do that using a flexible screen."

Here is the video of the system at work. Personally, I'm impressed.

I believe this has great potential in many fields and recommend reading the full article, here.

NanOs

Tablet updates

2009-12-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

Time Inc has been ramping up to the digital age to combat falling revenues. They have something called the Manhattan Project which is to display their offerings on a gadget along the lines of the supposed Apple iTablet and the DOA Crunchpad. Condé Nast is performing similar exercises.

Watch this Time Inc video from TechCrunch.com which shows a magazine being read and 'touched' on a reversed HP tablet notebook. If you start yawning, please feel free to stop the video - like I did.

From this I learned that a lot of work is going into producing a magazine on an HP touchscreen laptop to make it feel like - - - well, like reading my 'PC.Mag' magazine on my HP touch notebook like I have been doing for quite some time now.

Now take a look at a YouTube video entitled; 'First look at new iTablet from Apple'

Is that a joke, or what.

From every conceivable source we have been hearing about people who have seen it; had hands-on experience; know the price of it and all sorts of other information. And very recently, we have also heard that the challenger, the Microsoft Courier, is going to be available at an incredibly low price. (HT to Cherri)

So, what do we have at this point in time? In a nutshell: Who knows!
I did hear from a reliable source, however, that the Mickey Mouse mTablet will be ready for the public just before the holiday season with a 10" touchscreen, 3G and wifi at $300.
(You DO know that's a joke, RIGHT!)

NanOs

Accessing files from different computers

2009-12-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

I mentioned some time back about there being various methods of maintaining important files accessible and synchronized. Today I am going to set out just one method of achieving this by describing the application I use. It's called Dropbox.

I have tried many other methods of syncing files between PC's but most of them mean that the files are only available IF both computers are turned on and not asleep or hibernating. Some are only available from the cloud - where a company houses your files on their large computers and you access them from there.

The reason I like and perpetually use Dropbox is because it is the simplest and most effective way to keep files up to date and be immediately available from whatever PC you are on at the time: You access the chosen file, update/alter it and close it out. Next time you access it from another computer in, say, Mongolia (or somewhere else near California); there is the new version of your file waiting to be used.

Even if you use only one PC, I still recommend using Dropbox because it keeps your files safe - just in case your PC crashes.

How to get it:

1. First, get your FREE copy of the Dropbox file from http://www.dropbox.com/.

2. Download and run the file to install it on your first PC

3. Run the application and it invites you to set up a users account and requires a name/email and password for access. DON'T FORGET TO MAKE A STRONG PASSWORD - AND KEEP IT SAFE.

4. After reading the next paragraph, run the Dropbox application on each computer from where you want to access your files.

What has happened is that you now have a 'Dropbox' folder under your computer's 'My Documents'. (An icon also resides in the windows tray).

Open the Dropbox folder then add further sub-folders, if you wish.

I have 'Documents'; 'Downloads'; 'Multimedia'; 'Databases' and about 6 other folders.

You also have a space in the 'cloud' where your chosen files are maintained and updated each time you access one of them and alter or add information, etc. The best about Dropbox is that you are not really aware that you are using the cloud, it's just like having the file on every PC you use only it is up to date and ready to use.

Well how much will this cost me, you say.

The storage is FREE for up to 2GB of room with small charges for larger storage; e.g. for 50GB the costs is $9.99 per month, and 100GB at $19.99 per month.

I have been using Dropbox for a few years now and have used only 800MB and I keep downloaded executables stashed there, too. If I were musically inclined, I might also keep my music there.

I have tried xDrive; iDrive, FolderSync; Mozy and several others but none does it like Dropbox. It's just simple and it works without having to put any brain work into it.

So; go try it today. If you are not sure, try a few multimedia files and unimportant documents on it; you'll soon fall in love with its ease of use - and cheapness!

(Disclaimer: I have no interest in Dropbox other than as a happy user. I receive nothing from anyone for recommending using this product.)

NanOs

And now for something completely differenet

2009-11-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

Enough gloom and doom today, already. Here is a great rejoinder after the Crunchpad news:

Just watch (imperative tense!) this video and relax - - -

Courtesy of Boingboing.net posted, I believe, by Xeni Jardin

NanOs

CrinchPad - no more: True/Untrue

2009-11-30T11:50:00.001-07:00

Quote by Michael Arrington:

"Two weeks ago we were ready to publicly launch theCrunchPad. The device was stable enough for a demo. It went hours without crashing. We could even let people play with the device themselves – the user interface was intuitive enough that people “got it” without any instructions. And the look of pure joy on the handful of outsiders who had used it made the nearly 1.5 year effort completely worth it."

Trouble is, I omitted the very first sentence; "It was so close I could taste it."

It turns out that the CrunchPad may be DOA - or kidnapped.

I have reproduced below, in its entirety, the news release from Mr Arrington at TechCrunch. If you had or still have any interest in this 'only begotten gadget' then I believe it bears reading.

For me: I was uneasy when I saw Mike on the Glimore Gang video broadcast I covered on 11/14/09. There was just something about his demeanor that didn't sit well with me. Instead of exuding confidence and excitement, to me he seemed shifty and ill at ease.

Again, with the statement below, there are gaps in the flow of the message and I feel there is something more to this story. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Here is the announcement: -

Our plan was to debut the CrunchPad on stage at the Real-Time Crunchup event on November 20, a little over a week ago. We even hoped to have devices hacked together withGoogle Chrome OS and Windows 7 to show people that you could hack this thing to run just about anything you want. We’d put 1,000 of the devices on pre-sale and take orders immediately. Larger scale production would begin early in 2010.

And then the entire project self destructed over nothing more than greed, jealousy and miscommunication.

On November 17, our deadline date for greenlighting the debut three days later, the CEO of our partner on the project, Chandra Rathakrishnan, sent me an email with the subject “no good news.” Yuck, I thought. Another delay, probably with the screen that had been giving us so much trouble – capacitive touch at 12 inches isn’t trivial. And sure enough, the email started off with “no good news to update. updated hardware is still on its way , so that’s a timing issue. friday will be a challenge now.”

But the email went on. Bizarrely, we were being notified that we were no longer involved with the project. Our project. Chandra said that based on pressure from his shareholders he had decided to move forward and sell the device directly through Fusion Garage, without our involvement.

Err, what? This is the equivalent of Foxconn, who build the iPhone, notifiying Apple a couple of days before launch that they’d be moving ahead and selling the iPhone directly without any involvement from Apple.

Chandra also forwarded an internal email from one of his shareholders. My favorite part of the email: “We still acknowledge that Arrington and TechCrunch bring some value to your business endeavor…If he agrees to our terms, we would have Arrington assume the role of visionary/evangelist/marketing head and Fusion Garage would acquire the rights to use the Crunchpad brand and name. Personally, I don’t think the name is all that important but you seem to be somewhat attached to the name.”

And with that, the entire project self destructed.

Neither we nor Fusion Garage own the intellectual property of the CrunchPad outright. Fusion Garage has a team of 13 or so employees, currently working here in Silicon Valley out of a home they rented and in our office. Their team has mixed with our CrunchPad team, which is led by Brian Kindle, the former Vice President Hardware Engineering and Manufacturing at Vudu and an early hardware engineer at TiVo. Development expenses have been shared, and our team has spent time in Singapore and Taiwan, and their team has spent time here. We chose to work with Fusion Garage on Prototype C and the launch prototype after we finishedPrototype B internally.

We jointly own the CrunchPad product intellectual property, and we solely own the CrunchPad trademark.

So it’s legally impossible for them to simply build and sell the device without our agreement.

We’re still completely perplexed as to what happened. We think they were attempting to renegotiate the equity split on the company behind CrunchPad, which was to acquire Fusion Garage. Renegotiations are always fine. But holding a gun to our head two days before launching and insulting us isn’t the way to do that. We’ve spent the last week and a half trying unsuccessfully to communicate with them. Our calls and emails go unanswered, so we can’t even figure out exactly what’s happened.

Yesterday Chandra sent an email saying “Following our phone discussion, I had another round of discussions with my shareholders. The shareholders are not willing to move from their position as they believe their stand is justified. On the other hand, there isn’t an alternative offer on the table from Crunchpad.”

My response: “We have not come back to you with any counter offer to the email you forwarded because you and your shareholders have communicated to us that moving forward without us is something that you consider to be a legitimate and legal option. In other words, your “counter” offer is theft of intellectual property.”

Ultimately there are two sides to every story, and they’ll certainly have their side. We will almost certainly be filing multiple lawsuits against Fusion Garage, and possibly Chandra and his shareholders as individuals, shortly. The legal system will work it all out over time.

Mostly though I’m just sad. I never envisioned the CrunchPad as a huge business. I just wanted a tablet computer that I could use to consume the Internet while sitting on a couch. I’ve always pushed to open source all or parts of the project. So this isn’t really about money. It was about the thrill of building something with a team that had the same vision. Now that’s going to be impossible. And I’ve also lost a friend – Chandra spent months in our office this year and, until a week and a half ago, was the kind of young, determined entrepreneur that I admire. I thought we’d be friends for the rest of our lives.

And what’s really sad about all this is the incredible support we were getting from companies and people around the world to launch this device. A major multi-billion dollar retail partner has been patiently working with us for months, giving advice on manufacturing partners and offering to sell the CrunchPad at a zero margin to help us succeed in the early days. They were also willing to pay for the devices on order instead of 30 days after delivery, a crucial cash flow benefit that would allow us to ramp up volume without putting ourselves our of business. They were even willing to fly the devices from China on their own planes to eliminate our shipping costs. Intel, which would supply the Atom CPUs to power the device, has assisted us repeatedly with engineering and partner advice, and gave us pricing that was ridiculously generous given our projected first year sales volumes. Other partners were eager to promote and sell the device for little or no benefit on their end other than “supporting the project.” We even had sponsors lined up to help us sell the device near our $300ish cost.

And money wasn’t a problem, either. We had blue chip angel and venture capitalist investors in Silicon Valley waiting to invest in the company since late Spring. We were simply holding them off until we launched, to eliminate some of the risk.

It’s a sad day at TechCrunch HQ. Hitting the publish button on this post, which makes all of this so…final…is a very hard thing to do. I’m enraged, embarrassed, and just…sad. The CrunchPad is now in the DeadPool.

NanOs