iPhone 2.0

Apple is releasing their new 3G iPhone. That's 3G as in the network speed, not third generation.

I'm debating getting one. I deliberately held off getting the first phone, partly bc I'm still in contract with Sprint. That contract expires in August. I'm also not in particular an Apple fangirl. I know their products because it's my job.

There's an interesting article on The Unofficial Apple Weblog on why not to get the new iPhone; It mirrors comments made by David Pogue and Walt Mossberg, chiefly that the new data speeds cut into battery life, and many of the new iPhone's features will be available to the old phone and even the iPod Touch, in many instances.

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/08/why-you-shouldnt-buy-the-iphone-3g-on-friday/

http://www.tuaw.com/

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Gates and MovieMaker

An old email Bill Gates sent to his Microsoft lackeys has surfaced. I picked this up from Engadget. It's a fun read:

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/141821.asp

http://www.engadget.com

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Lisa

Many, many years ago, Apple Computer introduced a product called the Lisa. It was $10,000 and predated the Macintosh; an upgrade kit later allowed Lisa computers to become the Macintosh XL. I've only ever seen a non-functional Lisa IRL, converted into an aquarium. They are a quaint, almost kitchsy part of Macintosh and personal computing history. Modern Mechanix ran two articles on the Lisa here and here.


http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/29/the-lisa-computer-system-apple-designs-a-new-kind-of-machine/

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/05/29/a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-the-development-of-apples-lisa/

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Laptop Mouse with Stowable Receiver

Logitech has a cute little wireless mouse (yet another, one might say). This one has a small receiver that barely protrudes from your laptop.  Under $50, an excellent travel accessory.


http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2008/05/the_mouse_witho.html#more

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Waterproof Speaker / Case for iPod Nano

Who doesn't want to listen to their iPod in the shower? It beats the morning radio.

http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/new-arrivals/icebar-v2-waterproof-nano-speakers/index.html

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G4 Post Box

Finally, a use for those old G3 and G4 towers. This will hold the mail that you accumulate while you're out of the office.

http://www.shinyshiny.tv/2008/05/geek_chic_1.html

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A Trip Down Memory Lane

Behold, the Commodore 64, wonder of wonders. My family had a Commodore 128 (mentioned in the article) but we used it most often in 64 mode. I knew a boy in high school who worked all summer longer for the money to buy himself a system.

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eee Blog

I've posted about the Asus eeePC before. Now I've found a blog devoted to the little buddy. Tangential discussions mention other low-cost tweebooks, such as the OLPC and the MSI Wind.


http://eeepc.net/

http://techlamode.blogspot.com/2008/05/asus-eeepc.html

http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/06/switched-on-the-linux-ultraportable-opportunity/

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Better Late than Never

A directory bug in BSD Unix has finally been fixed:

Should you worry about this? Is this the silver bullet that kills the Macintosh's OS X operating system? Hardly. Note that the error was brought to light by using BSD Unix to host a DOS-compatible file system using SMB (Samba) - hardly a situation the typical Unix or OS X user will find herself in.

http://osnews.com/story/19731/The-25-Year-Old-UNIX-Bug

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Ultraportable

Engadget has an excellent article on Linux in ultraportables. There are so many varieties of Linux and so many developers for it that it is a sensible alternative to Windows.

I'm not anti-Windows, and I'm not an Apple fangirl. I'm all about choice and usability. If you just need a basic computer to tote around, take a look at this article.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/06/switched-on-the-linux-ultraportable-opportunity/

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Data Recovery

If you need to recover data, you may want to consider Ontrack Data Recovery. I have not used them myself, but they were able to successfully recover data from a hard drive on the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Yes, that Space Shuttle Columbia. According to an article in Scientific American, during the reconstruction process, the hard drive was discovered and subsequently sent off for data recovery. Now, your hard drive may not be built to the same specifications of a hard drive sent into orbit, but if this company can retrieve data from magnetized platters that have fallen from the stratosphere, it's a good bet that they can recover data from a laptop that got knocked off your desk during your last holiday party.

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Asus eeePC

I am in love with a new computer: the Asus eeePC.

"Easy to learn. Easy to work. Easy to play."

The eeePC comes from Asus. It is a sub-compact laptop running Xandros Linux.

Several models are available. So far, they all use SSDs instead of traditional hard drives. The base models have 7" screens, while more recent models have 9" screens. I've seen the 7" model in the wild, and it is very cute.

The eeePC reclaims the notion of personal computing, in part be integrating developments from the past five to ten years. The internet has matured and wifi hotspots are practically ubiquitous. The eeePC has built-in wireless, giving it internet access wherever an open hotspot can be found. It thus becomes a portable email terminal. Combine online services such as Google Docs or Citrix farms and you get a $300 terminal that will slip into your purse. Additionally, because it is based on Xandros Linux, it is not susceptible to the bloated operating system sizes of Windows and OS X, and not nearly as vulnerable to malware and viruses as Windows can be.

The eeePC is a simple, portable, computing terminal, the opposite of the bigger, faster, hotter, and higher-maintenance laptops and desktops that tend to drive personal and corporate IT budgets.

There are other ultraportable machines out there, but few match the ease of use and feature set of the eeePC.

http://usa.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=24&l2=0&l3=0&l4=0&model=2006&modelmenu=1

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Ars Technica

For all things technological, read Ars Technica. It covers a lot of ground, from detail technical discussions to political and business implications of technology.

I especially recommend this for business owners who must make decisions based on technological developments. The high-level view will help understand what your techies are telling you.

http://arstechnica.com/index.ars

One Day, Computers Will Be the Size of a Suitcase

Just for fun, I thought I'd trot out this link from Modern Mechanix:

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2005/12/27/suitcase-brain/

The computer may be the size of a suitcase, but it's 750 lbs. That's barely luggable, let alone portable.

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Tiny USB

Ignore the image you'll see on the left of the linked page. This 8GB flash drive is all about being small, durable, and apparently wet, and that's all I need to know.

Though, I have to wonder, why would you add your USB drive to your Alka Seltzer?

http://girlsgadget.blogspot.com/2008/04/super-talent-pico-smallest-8-gb-usb.html

Lego my Yego

These I find really fascinating. You can keep plugging them in. At some point, you'd run out of power, but still, I have to wonder: how many Yegos to the power limits of your USB bus?

Traxdata has made a 2GB flash drive that is also a 2 port USB hub. Plug in the drive and add a USB port at the same time. According to their ads, you could plug two into one, plug the one into your computer, and have three 2 GB partitions on your computer.

It looks cool. The write-up even descibes the 'unique and funky design' as a product feature. If I didn't have 4 GB Cruzer's spilling out of my work trousers, I'd get a couple.

That said, keep in mind that anything powered by your USB (like this device) is pulling from a limited supply. There are limits. Still, if you've ever found your machine running one port short of your needs, you might give the Yego a glance.

http://www.digitalera.co.uk/products/2GB_Traxdata_EZ_Drive_YEGO_with_2_port_Hub-953-0.html

Cute Wood

Deal Extreme has these cute, chi-friendly speakers. Wooden, portable, and purportedly good sound, these would be excellent for that weekend getaway or a one-room dorm party in your freshman year of college

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7098

We can say freshman can't we? They're not still saying 'first year student' are they?

For all your accessorizing needs

I've fallen in love with Agent 18. If you have something you need to cover up (*ahem*, something technological to cover up) they probably have a product for you. Agent 18 is a purveyor of covers for iPod, Zune, laptops, and handheld gaming systems.

I'm particularly fond of their flower vest for 3G iPod Nano. It's a little hippy-dippy, but fun, colorful, and far from stale.

http://www.agent18.com/

Techlamode - now hosted by blogger

Techlamode is now hosted on Blogger. Old posts will be migrated shortly.