Windows only: We took a first look at Microsoft Security Essentials, the free antivirus application from Microsoft, back in June, but today Microsoft Security Essentials has left beta and is ready for your PC.
The application hasn't really changed much since we took our first look from what we can tell, meaning this release is most likely filled with bug fixes and stability improvements rather than new features.
We've been impressed with Security Essentials so far, though it may not be enough of an improvement or change that'll make it worth switching to from your current favorite antivirus application. If you've been testing it out since the beta release, or you've just played around with it a little this morning, let's hear what you think of it in the comments.
Microsoft Security Essentials [Microsoft]
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Microsoft Security Essentials Free Antivirus App Leaves Beta [Downloads]
Dropbox Comes to the iPhone and iPod touch [Downloads]
iPhone/iPod touch only: Dropbox, one of our favorite cross-platform file-syncing tools, has now made its way to the iPhone and iPod touch, complete with offline file viewing.
Once installed on your device, Dropbox for iPhone provides access to all your Dropbox files, allows you to view any file supported by your iPhone (including documents, photos, music, and video), uploads any photo or video you've taken on your device to your Dropbox account, and lets you save any file as a favorite for offline viewing. If you want to share a file in your Dropbox with someone else, the application can generate an email with a link directly to the file.
I first saw a demo of Dropbox for the iPhone way back at SXSW in March, so it's great to see this app finally make its way to the App Store. In short: If you're already a fan of Dropbox and you've got an iPhone or iPod touch, you'll want to download this app. Like the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions, Dropbox for the iPhone is freeware and requires only a Dropbox account.
Dropbox [iTunes App Store]
Sunday, September 27, 2009
The coming tablet wars
I’m going to try writing longer form stuff for the weekends, sort of to stretch the old mental legs a bit and share a bit of the stuff that is floating through my transom, man, about tech and especially mobile and portable electronics.Come back with me to 2001. A young man got up on stage one afternoon in November to announce something new and amazing: an operating system dedicated to tablet computing. That young man was Microsoft’s Bill Gates and that operating system was Windows XP Tablet PC edition.
Chances are that is the first and last time you saw a working tablet computer. Laptops, then, were monsters. They were heavy – 10 pounds or more – had small, bad batteries, and WiFi was just a dream for most people. It seemed, in those dark years, that laptop manufacturers could shave off pounds and complexity by removing the keyboard and offer a pen-based OS. After all, this was a post-PalmOS era when handwriting recognition was an input option we all knew and understood.
The thinking was this: if you can streamline applications – data entry applications being the target here – you could sell smaller, more expensive computers to medical and business clients. It didn’t work and Windows Tablet PC has been little more than a clever solution to a nonexistent problem.
So what’s with all the tablet talk lately?
We have entered an era of the thin and light computer and, rather than worrying about power we’ve become obsessed with the concept of thinness. This is why Apple, in their wisdom, created the MacBook Air and the iPod Touch. This is the same reason we are all salivating over the thought of tablets thinner than an issue of BusinessWeek and this is why laptop manufacturers – and Michael Arrington – are rushing to make them.
The Apple Tablet (or iPad or Tapplet) is real. It will have a capacitive touch screen and manufacturing difficulties are slowing down the tablet’s release to a crawl, thereby preventing us all from having one. It will be thin and, like the abhorrent HP DreamScreen, will focus on media. The extant tablet verticals – mostly in the medical industry – will still exist.
Note this new focus. Rather than trying to create a business machine, manufacturers understand people want bigger screens on which to consume web and media content.
So what can we expect in the next year? Well, first we have the CrunchPad. When all the bugs are worked out, it will be an amazing device – I’ve seen it. And I’m not just saying that because I’ve been intimately involved in the design process, because I wasn’t – that gives me a bit of perspective. Expect the CrunchPad to be a excellent device for blogging – that’s what Mike made it for – and for web apps. Don’t Expect much in the way of media. [I was wrong.]
Then there’s the iPad. This will eclipse the industry and for the rest of the year that’s all you’ll hear about. Trust me. Apple could require you to give this device three drops of blood every morning in order to satisfy the demonic hell-beast soul trapped inside it and we would, gladly. The release will be on par with the iPhone release and they’ll sell a million of them.
Then you have Microsoft’s Courier. It’s impressive, but it’s Microsoft; don’t expect that thing to take shape for two years and don’t expect it to take off until the second generation. Like the Zune, Microsoft will make a product but they won’t make it good until they have a little time to mull it over. I don’t think the Courier will be a player in 2010.
As for the rest of the devices, expect slow uptake by price conscious consumers and folks who don’t think it’s “cool” to own “name brand” technology and are real “hackers” (read: teenagers and European students). Archos,
for example, is doing a lot of good work in the tablet space but they’re an also-ran. They are going the Tablet OS route, which is no good. Creative has some devices planned and it’s also clear that ChromeOS could power a nice device – provided HTC makes it.
As for connectivity most of these will have a 3G option – although I doubt the iPad will have 3G built-in. WiFi is an obvious second-best.
As for size, tablets, at least with capacitive screens, are weighed down by a huge hunk of metal that shields the electronics from the screen. This hunk of metal – and the glass – prevents us from getting a bigger iPod Touch and is what is keeping the iPad from coming out sooner. Once the world’s (i.e. China’s) scientists solve this problem we’ll get what we want. Until then it’s resistive all the way.
So prepare yourselves for the coming tablet wars and sock away a little cash because things are going to get interesting in 2010.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Archos 9 tablet due October 22 for $499
Here’s a little more info on the Archos 9 Tablet. Apparently it’ll be available here in the US on October 22nd, the same day Windows 7 is available. The price tag is pretty aggressive at $499, too.
That’ll get you an Atom Z510 CPU at 1.1GHz, a 9-inch touchscreen with 1024×600 resolution, 1GB of RAM, 60GB hard drive, Windows 7 Starter, four hours of battery life, and a weight of about 1.75 pounds.
UMPC Portal has a video of the device in action. Looks pretty nice. It seems a little sluggish but some of that might get hammered out before the official release. It’ll never be SUPER fast, though, considering the form factor, but perhaps it’d get a nice place on your coffee table.
Archos 9 release announced at IDF, October 22nd, $499 [UMPC Portal]
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Irex DR 800SG e-reader now available
Irex Technologies aim to introduce the world of reading to even more people with the introduction of their new Irex DR 800SG e-book reader that offers a multi-mode 3G wireless connection to keep you hooked up to its store just about round the clock, allowing you to download tomes of your choice wherever you are and whenever you like. This sleek looking device comes with a 8.1″ touchscreen display to help you get started, and you are able to purchase a range of reading materials including books, newspapers or magazines from a wide variety of sources. Apart from that, Irex has made sure that their DR 800SG will support a wide range of formats including the industry standard ePub format alongside multiple DRM solutions compared to being restricted to a single, “closed” proprietary format that locks content to a specific device.
Key partners for the Irex DR 800SG will be Barnes & Noble, Inc., Best Buy, Qualcomm and Verizon Wireless, where they work in tandem to offer unbridled access to the content and retail presence, all over the “most reliable wireless network in the country”. Through the Barnes & Noble eBookstore from Barnes & Noble, users are able to gain access to over 750,000 titles, and these won’t be old releases but include new books and bestsellers that retail for $9.99. If you’re a voracious reader, then going the e-book way might be just the thing since it helps save on paper, although we’re not sure the carbon footprint generated by these devices might be more detrimental in the long run.
Avid readers will find the generous 8.1″ touchscreen display to be extremely suitable for reading, where the DR 800SG employs the latest electronic paper display technology in order to deliver an experience that is closer to reading ordinary paper than possible with a netbook or tablet device. Apart from that, you will find it a snap to use, even for first timers thanks to its intuitive user interface and straightforward buttons. Expect the Irex DR 800SG to arrive later this October for $399.99 a pop. All downloads via wireless access won’t require a contract, which is always a good thing.
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Leaked Tablet from Microsoft looks bookish
Is the Microsoft Courier a Tablet PC or a new category altogether?
The rush for Tablet PCs in the Cupertino rumor mill has so far produced zip, zero, nada. Donut hole. But now there comes word from Redmond that Microsoft may be working on a book like Tablet PC code named “Courier.”
Containing two seven inch multi touch screens in opposition, Courier has the promise to not only be an awesome computing device, but a fantastic tool for everyone from artists to movie makers to doctors. Users can draw and write using the included stylus, or navigate using the multi touch screen interface on both sides. Other features include a built in camera, home button on the inner spine, wireless internet access, GPS locator, simple note taking and handwriting recognition, and will no doublt include some interesting multimedia style applications.
No word on when Courier will be available or if it will run Vista or some proprietary OS, but the video over at The Giz shows something most decidedly un Vista like.
Worth keeping an eye on, but one has to wonder that since Apple has so far resisted Tablet fever, does Steve Jobs know something about this category of PCs we don’t?
On thing is certain, it’d make an awesome eBook reader.
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Honda U3-X: Another one-wheeled Segway, this time its omnidirectional
Once again, another new perfectly balanced riding vehicle such as the PUMA and eniCycle has caught my attention. I don’t know what it is about these things, I feel like I’m eight-years old looking at pictures of sports cars and longing for the day when I can drive.
Yes, I want to ride those things really bad, and Honda has fulfilled my dreams with the U3-X. There is a wonderful video of it that you can see after the jump, just don’t ask me why there is no sound.
The U3-X has the ability to fold up compactly into a boogie board that is shaped like a figure eight. It is quite light at 22 pounds, and Honda used technology learned from Asimo to make it work.
For example, it uses balance control technology, which means the rider uses leaning to control speed and direction. It has the Honda Omni Traction drive system, which means it can go backwards, forwards, as well as sideways.
Not only that, but its downright sexy too. Well, this is one of those devices that I will probably never ride, but will always want to. At this present time, it is just a concept for now. Even the video looks like it was made entirely out of CG, including the rider.
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Picasa 3.5 Incorporates Photo Tagging, Google Maps
Monday, September 21, 2009
How To: Rip Your Music Like a Pro
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How To: Rip Your Music Like a Pro
First off, some reasons to take this road: iTunes is a decent audio encoder, and it'll get your music from point A—the CD—to points B, C and D—your computer, your MP3 player and your backup drive—without much trouble. But it'll do it with a less-than-great encoder, with occasionally inconsistent tagging, with album art that'll only work on Apple devices, and without support for the best lossless audio formats and MP3 encoding options, which you probably want, whether you know it or not.
In short, the ripping process deserves a little more care than iTunes or Windows Media player can give it. You can pay people for this, which feels dumb and wasteful, or you can do it yourself. It's not difficult, at all. Here's what you do:
Get Your Software
Mac OS X: Max
From the makers:When extracting audio from compact discs, Max offers the maximum in flexibility to ensure the true sound of your CD is faithfully extracted. For pristine discs, Max offers a high-speed ripper with no error correction. For damaged discs, Max can either use its built-in comparison ripper (for drives that cache audio) or the error-correcting power of cdparanoia.
What this translates to: Great error reduction, fantastic sound quality, and tons and tons of encoding options—not that you really need those to do a good rip, but hey, they can't hurt. On...
Toshiba Updates Their Camileo HD Camcorder Series with the Launch of Three New Models: the S20, H30 and X100
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Toshiba Updates Their Camileo HD Camcorder Series with the Launch of Three New Models: the S20, H30 and X100
Smartbook U1000 from Qiji is nothing but a WM PDA
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Smartbook U1000 from Qiji is nothing but a WM PDA
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JVC HD Everio GZ-HM400.
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JVC HD Everio GZ-HM400.
Fujitsu Adds "Touch" to Their Flagship LifeBook T5010 Convertible Tablet PC
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Fujitsu Adds "Touch" to Their Flagship LifeBook T5010 Convertible Tablet PC
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Newsmy New Full HD and HDMI out, and Video Rec PMP the A16HD+
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Newsmy New Full HD and HDMI out, and Video Rec PMP the A16HD+
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Saturday, September 19, 2009
Regator.com: Pentax debuts 12 megapixel duo: Optio M85 and E85 point-and-shoots
Pentax debuts 12 megapixel duo: Optio M85 and E85 point-and-shoots
(Endgadget)See this post and other related stories on Regator.com
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Roku's $99 player aims to be the hub for streaming movies: Netflix, MLB, Amazon VOD
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Roku's $99 player aims to be the hub for streaming movies: Netflix, MLB, Amazon VOD
After Replay was sold, he knew he wanted to do something with digital media. His first Roku product connected to the TV set to display art and digital photos; then he turned to music with SoundBridge, a device to stream music around the home.Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Extreme Leisure: 10 Ultimate Ways To Spend That Extra Day Off
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Extreme Leisure: 10 Ultimate Ways To Spend That Extra Day Off
Friday, September 4, 2009
Creative's Zen X-Fi2 : Akihabara News .com
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PC • 3000 PHONE • 951 AUDIO • 1246 CRASH BABY • 38 IMAGE • 2004 MISC • 1139 AKIBA HD TV • 148 Creative Zen X-Fi2 : Creative's Zen X-Fi2
Posted on 2009-09-03 14:16:00 | by: Daimaou |
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Category: AUDIO | Tags: CREATIVE, DAP, PMP, ZEN, VIDEO, RSS, RADIO, TUNERCreative's Zen X-Fi2
Here's Creative’s latest DAP, the Zen X-Fi2. Available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB and sold in Japan for 13,800, 19,800 and 24,800 Yen. This 3” touch screen DAP (400x240) features an FM tuner, and supports WMV, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4/5, XviD video and WMA, MP3, AAC, FLAC audio files.If 32GB of internal memory isn't enough, the X-Fi2 supports microSD and microSDHC cards.
Related Links:
Creative
- dannychoo.com - Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
- Japan Probe - Japan news and entertainment (Subscribe)
- Kirainet.com - A geek in Japan (Subscribe)
