Developages - Development and Technology Blog

If you’re an Apple fan for whom price is actually a consideration, then you may be pleased to know that the sexy catwalk MacBook Air is about to become less of a burden on your bank account. Apple has knocked the price of the world’s thinnest laptop down to £1,719, from £2,029 due to the fact that Solid State Drives (SSDs) have gotten cheaper.First off, that price cut is only on the 1.8GHz one with the SSD option and secondly, while you wouldn’t turn your nose up at £310 staying in your pocket, £1,719 is still an awful lot to pay. Especially when you consider that the MacBook Air with an 80GB hard disk drive costs over £500 less at £1,199. Also, the SSD option on the 1.6GHz model will now cost £389, instead of the previous £639 - a saving of £250. The SSD in the 1.8GHz MacBook Air is a 64GB model and if you don’t mind the extra cash, you’ll end up with a notebook with faster boot-up times, better overall read/write performance, near silent operation and less thirst for your precious battery life.-Martin Lynch apple laptops macbook notebook

Original post by nafiz

It’s been a while since Sun Microsystems came out with the newest version of VirtualBox (1.6 as of this writing), but it’s still worth the look. Geeks will like this app because:

• It let’s multiple OS runs at the same time on the same computer (it’s virtualization software after all).
• It runs on multiple OSes, including multiply variants of Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and Sun’s own Solaris.
• It’s open-source, which is a great way to stick it to those damn corporate pigs. This also means source code and documentation are open for public consumption.

Visit the VirtualBox Wiki for more info and download links.

Share This

Original post by Rico

It might seem like an unholy alliance but Dell has reportedly approached Apple with bags of cash to buy into its money-saving Manila Case laptop packaging. That’s the big joke going around now in the US. According to Piper Jaffray’s industry watcher and Apple fan Gene Munster, Dell wants to cut its costs and thinks paying Apple to use their exclusive envelope packaging is the quickest way to do it - even if they have to pay £10 per envelope for the privilege. According to Munster: “It was bound to happen. I mean, given Dell’s constant focus on cutting costs, it was a matter of time before they focused on packaging to save some dollars here and there. And, let’s face it, Apple’s solution is the most efficient, light, and cost-effective in the industry. Like everything else they do. I predict they will hit the $500 [price per share] mark before 2009. Even $510.” Despite having to allegedly cough up $20 (£10) per envelope to Apple, it’s expected to save the PC company more in postage costs. See the parody MacBook Air envelope video above from months ago that just happens to show an entire Dell PC coming out of one of them and tell me it’s not just a bit prophetic. Of course, please remember that all the above is just a big fat satirical lie. Nice video though. Rubber chickens included.-Martin Lynch [Gizmodo] laptop dell apple

Original post by nafiz

Perhaps the real question is: how often do Macs crash compared to PCs? Source: ericstoller.com.

Share This

Original post by Rico

I’ve been using the Dell XPS M1330 for at least a week now. So far, so good, save for a few irritations.

What’s Hot

• Lightweight
• Looks good
• Powerful
• Great extras: bundled sleeve, earphones, and remote
• High-contrast led-backlit display
• Aluminum wrist rests resistant to discoloration
• SD, MMC, xD card reader great for camera users

What’s Not

• Slot drive noisy and won’t accept small CD/DVDs
• Tinny external speakers
• Vista slows everything down!

As configured

• “Tuxedo” Black
• Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 (2.4 Ghz)
• 2GB RAM
• 13.3″ 1280 x 800 glossy display
• Integrated 2.0 megapixel webcam
• 250GB 5400rpm hard disk
• Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS (128MB dedicated video memory)
• Bluetooth and WiFi (up to 802.11g)
• Slot-loaded DVD Writer
• Touch-sensitive media playback controls
• Fingerprint reader
• 2 USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet jack, 1 Firewire port, HDMI out, ExpressCard 54 slot
• SD/MMC/Memory Stick (with adaptor) card reader
• Windows Vista Home Premium

Share This

Original post by Rico

It was hard enough peeling my ass off the couch to try gaming standing up with the Nintendo Wii but now, someone has made it possible to work while you walk. The Connect-A-Desk is less desk-like than you might think, resembling little more than tray with a strap attached. Well, that’s what it is really. Sadly, I can see some advantages to being able to work while upright - not to mention burning a few thousand unwanted calories and tripping over things all day long. This is what the seller’s say:The Connect-A-Desk is a new product that gives you the ability to use your laptop with both hands free, to type while walking or standing. Includes the laptop harness & desk, everything you need to use your laptop computer while standing. Works with any size laptop, notebook, or tablet computer. Adjustable to fit any size person. Quick and easy to put on and take off and ergonomically designed for comfort. It’s truly mobile and portable, no need for a laptop cart or stand. * Great for: archeologists, insurance adjusters, real estate appraisers, architects, engineers, students, site surveys, inspectors, inventory, warehouse, nurses * Fits into most computer bags * Straps can be removed for use as a lap desk * Dimensions: 11″ x 14″ * Weight: 1lb, 6oz Archaeologists? What I need is a little tray to the right for a mouse and another on the left for a pint so that Walking World Of Warcraft can become a reality. Find it here for around £21.-Martin Lynch gadget laptop geek

Original post by nafiz

Mozilla set out to have the world download 5 million copies of its Firefox 3 browser in 24 hours when it launched on Tuesday, in order to create a new Guinness World Record. While the Guinness experts are still counting - Mozilla is claiming 8.3 million in 24 hours - that record is probably theirs but downloads are still zooming, now topping 11.5 million. After a slow start on Tuesday, UK surfers bounced back against their European rivals with downloads now standing at more than 420,000, against France’s 385,000, Spain’s 392,000 and Italy’s 325,000. The Germans are running away with the European Firefox Fan Trophy though with more than 960,000 downloads. Overall, the US is the biggest downloader, with 3.4 million. There have been some reports of crashing with Firefox 3.0, and issues with rollbacks, but we want to know how you’re getting on. Is Firefox 3.0 the dog’s bollocks or just bollocks?-Martin Lynch firefox internet news

Original post by nafiz

My puny Vaio laptop has a weenie sub-80GB hard disk drive that I’ve been promising to upgrade but, considering that all the other components could do with an overhaul too, it would be a waste of cash. Still, I wouldn’t say no to a laptop with the new Spinpoint M6 hard disk drive from Samsung, boasting three 167GB platters for a 500GB drive. Touted as the “world’s biggest and fastest” laptop hard disk drive, the M6 spins at 5,400rpm, has an 8MB cache, 3.0Gbps SATA interface and an optional Free-Fall-Sensor. It meets Microsoft’s fast-boot design requirements and supports ramp load and unload of up to 600,000 times. So what fits on a 500GB hard disk drive? [cue the silly photo stats…]According to Samsung, you’re looking at up to 160,000 digital images, 125 hours of DVD movies or 60 hours of high-def (HD) video. Samsung has also introduced the Spinpoint MP2, a 2.5in 250GB drive for those with a need for speed. Operating at 7,200rpm with a 16MB buffer, it has a SATA II 3.0Gbps interface and Native Command Queuing functions for “advanced performance”. It uses Samsung’s proprietary SilentSeek and NoiseGuard technologies for quieter running and it’s available in capacities ranging from 80GB to 250GB. “The Spinpoint M6 is ideal for notebook power users who require vast amounts of storage space for their data, video and music files,” said Hubbert Smith, Director of Storage, Samsung Semiconductor. “The MP2 has speed, features and capacity similar to a 3.5″ hard drive and is perfect for users who require a smaller form factor with advanced data storage needs.” Shipping now, the US prices for the 500GB M6 and 250GB MP2 equate to £152 and £101.-Martin Lynch laptop storage hdd

Original post by nafiz

We have covered our fair share of tiny - or pico - projectors here on Gizmodo but to date, most of it has be a bit foggy over who will deliver what, and when. Now, it looks like projector house, Optoma, will be the first out the door with a real product based on Texas Instruments’ mini-DLP technology, DLP Pico. You can see an early demo of DLP Pico technology here. The miniature standalone projector - which you can see above - weighs just 4ozs and will go on limited sale in Europe and Asia at the end of this year with a full rollout in early 2009. The Optoma Pico will be able to project images up to “100 times larger” than you’d see on source devices like iPods, smart phones, and digital cameras. Great fun at parties and very handy for those that present a lot for work. Optoma’s director of product management, Jon Grodem, commented: “The Pico Projector is the next step in sharing visual media for today’s ultra-mobile consumer. Fitting in your shirt pocket, the Pico Projector can display pictures, videos or any content from a mobile media player or smart phone. Optoma’s Pico breaks free from the limitations of the 2-3in displays found on today’s mobile devices. This category defining projector creates a new benchmark for sharing content-on-the-go.” There’s no price yet but obviously, we’ll be looking forward to testing one of these little tykes come Q4.-Martin Lynch projector pmp video geek

Original post by nafiz

You can never have enough storage. LaCie seems to think so too with its new Little Big Disk Quadra 1TB, claiming it to be the industry’s largest capacity portable HDD to fit comfortably [just about] in your hand. What is handy though is that it’s USB bus-powered, so no need for the usual big, brick-like power block and cable. The chassis houses two, 2.5in 500GB drives working in a RAID 0 configuration. On the speed front, it boasts 110MB/s burst transfer rates when using eSATA or up to 80MB/s if using FireWire 800. It comes with one eSATA 3Gbit connection, two FireWire 800 (FireWire 400 compatible with included adaptor), and one USB 2.0 interface. It uses the LaCie d2 heat sink design, developed by Neil Poulton, so there’s no fans and very little noise. It weighs in at 1.4lbs, which LaCie claims is up to 60% lighter than traditional external HDDs. It’s just over half what my 300GB Seagate drive weighs. Arnaud Prezelin, LaCie Product Manager for Creative Pro solutions, commented: “Powerful yet portable, the Little Big Disk Quadra is an essential tool for meeting a professional’s mobile needs. While travelling, users no longer need to carry heavy devices and power cables to operate a high-capacity 1TB external hard drive.” Shipping now, the Little Big Disk Quadra 1TB costs a not inconsiderable £400, because good looks and innovation don’t come cheap.-Martin Lynch [LaCie] storage USB HDD lacie

Original post by nafiz

Even if several months have already passed, the MacBook Air still kicks ass in terms of notebook innovations. Thinnovation was the advertorial cry embraced by Apple, presents the tinniest of all laptops you can find in the market, just as thick as your index finger. Some newer laptops are even thinner, but none have the Air’s tapered edge optical illusion.

When I got a hold of this magnificent Apple product a queasy feeling ran in my stomach: I had the most exquisite computer that one could ever hold. It’s an anorexic notebook, yet almost everything that you want to find in a notebook is here, provided you don’t use FireWire or lots of USB devices.

If there is a Lotus in the realm of sleek laptops, MacBook Air is the one.

Catalog Page [Amazon]

Share This

Original post by Mike Mons

The revolutionary Wii console allowed us to translate our movements wirelessly into game character movements on the TV, resulting in a new kind of gaming experience. Now Toshiba thinks something similar could work in laptops. The new Toshiba Qosmio G55 has a new trick up its sleeve: visual gesture control. Using the Webcam and some snappy software, the G55 recognises certain hand movements, allowing you to control music and video playback and PowerPoint presentations without touching a mouse or control pad. Making a fist allows you to move the cursor around the screen, pressing your thumb up and down activates a control and making the universal ‘Talk To The Hand’ gesture pauses or stops playback from anywhere in the room - up to a range of 10-feet. Cool. That said, those testing it at Laptopmag found that it can be a little over-sensitive and your arm and wrist will ache after extended messing about. They still really liked it though. The G55 also sports a massive 18.4in screen, Centrino 2 processor, a dedicated Quad Core HD Processor for the motion control processing, nVidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics, 4GB of RAM, dual 250 GB hard drives, stereo speakers and a subwoofer. It launches next month with a US price equivalent to £800.-Martin Lynch [Laptopmag] laptop news

Original post by nafiz

You might suspect that your ISP is sabotaging your download speeds but it’s not always easy to detect. Google is aiming to change all of that. The search engine giant is working on some new Google tools that will show if your ISP is squeezing or slowing down your Net connection because it thinks you’re using too much bandwidth. Considering that UK ISPs are threatening to do just that to people who watch a lot of the BBC’s cool iPlayer service, this is an issue of growing concern. “We’re trying to develop tools, software tools…that allow people to detect what’s happening with their broadband connections, so they can let [ISPs] know that they’re not happy with what they’re getting - that they think certain services are being tampered with,” commented Google senior policy director Richard Whitt at a panel discussion at the Innovation 08 event in San Francisco. He added: “If the broadband providers aren’t going to tell you exactly what’s happening on their networks. We want to give users the power to find out for themselves.” There’s no date on when these tools will arrive but Google said they have been working on them for some time now.-Martin Lynch [The Register] internet ISP google

Original post by nafiz

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then Dell’s really kissing Asus ass with its challenger to the Asus Eee. Cheekily dubbed the Dell E - no, really - we covered its first appearance tucked under Michael Dell’s arm a couple of weeks ago but now there’s some extra meat to hang on its little frame. The Dell E is the smaller of two new models in the new Inspiron E series. It’s a mobile internet device (MID) like the Asus Eee 901 and MSI Wind , sporting an 8.9in screen, powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor and coming with either Windows XP or Linux. There’s 3 versions of the E: the entry-level E Classic, E Video and E Video+ in the pipeline, the latter two sporting more memory, webcams, storage, BlueTooth etc. Dell will offer 4GB, 8GB and 12GB Flash drives in the devices which weigh in at 1Kg and should run for up to 5-hours. There’s going to be different colours to choose from - not finalised yet though - and with prices [US] starting at around $299 [£150] for the E Classic, Asus et al can expect some serious competition in the burgeoning MID space. Most interestingly is that they will feature an instant-on facility called BlackTop, that will allow users to access certain applications without fully booting up either XP or Linux. They launch in August. See the proposed E spec sheet below.-Martin Lynch [Engadget] laptop dell news

Original post by nafiz

Mobile broadband is still in its expensive infancy here but Vodafone is claiming to be the best based on an ‘independent’ survey by LCC International, the largest independent wireless engineering company in the world. The study found that the Vodafone UK network is the ‘fastest and most reliable for file download and Web page loading’ when using data cards or USB modems. The findings maintained that it’s up to 10 seconds faster when downloading a 2MB file and up 4 times faster to open a Web page than rivals. It should be noted that Vodafone commissioned the survey [hmm?] but LCC assures that the operator had zero input regarding locations chosen, the tests or equipment used. The key findings against its rivals were: Up to 77% faster when downloading a 2MB file (compared to slowest operator performance): Vodafone UK download speeds on mobile broadband are 1.2Mbps/13.54seconds compared to 764kbps/21.44 seconds for 3, 683kbps/23.99 seconds for Orange, 812kbps/20.17 seconds for 02 and 993kbps/16.15 seconds for T-Mobile. Up to 278% faster to open a web page (compared to slowest operator performance): Vodafone UK’s mobile broadband takes 6.7 seconds compared to 12.7 seconds on Three, 7.45 seconds on 02, 7.8 seconds on T-Mobile and 25.67 on Orange Neil Smith, Vice President of LCC International, explained: “When we responded to Vodafone’s tender it was made very clear that this test was to be done in independent conditions. We have been rigid in our methodology and did not disclose anything to Vodafone UK until the trial was completed. We have designed one of the most comprehensive assessments of its kind in order to generate a statistically sound report.” Over 28,000 tests were conducted during 10 weeks, in 140 locations including 15 airports, 11 shopping centres, 33 hotels, 10 service stations, 27 business locations including business parks and offices and 22 rail stations). Anyone out there got their own experience of mobile broadband to share?-Martin Lynch phone mobile phone vodafone

Original post by nafiz