Let Google’s My Maps Be Your Geo Database
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
Store geolocations inside a My Maps mashup and access the data
anywhere on the web. The RSS feed produced by Google can be read by
other services, or on your own site with the Google Maps API.
Tags: computers, software, Technology
Clump of dark matter may loom near solar system
Nov 19, 2008 Science, Technology
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A balloon-borne instrument soaring high over Antarctica has found evidence of a possible large clump of mysterious so-called dark matter relatively close to our solar system, scientists said on Wednesday.
Tags: Science, Technology
GE embraces blogs, some see disclosure worry
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
BOSTON (Reuters) - General Electric Co has quietly changed the way it communicates with Wall Street over the past month, using a company blog, GEReports.com, to share news with investors.
Tags: internet, Technology
Make Your Site an iPhone App
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
Use an open source development kit to easily transform your website
into an iPhone App with JavaScript access to location and accelerometer.
Tags: computers, software, Technology
iPodObserver - FlightTrack for iPhone Reduces Air Travel Anxiety
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
Ben Kazez and FlightView announced the immediate availability of FlightTrack for the iPhone and iPod touch on Wednesday. The app provides professional, real-time maps and flight status information
Tags: apple, computers, mac, Technology
Kingston bumps DataTraveler 150 capacity to 64GB
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
Kingston Technology on Wednesday unveiled its DataTraveler 150 USB Flash drive with a new, higher 64GB capacity, or double that of the previous highest capacity of 32GB. The DataTraveler 150 is now the highest-capacity USB flash drive of its size in Kingston’s range of offerings, enabling users to carry around more of their multimedia files and backed up hard drive content….
Tags: apple, mac, Technology
Vocito desktop dialer released for GrandCentral beta
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
Google has released Vocito, a desktop quick-dialer for its GrandCentral beta. The app simultaneously dials a remote phone and a local phone, connecting them together. Vocito also integrates with Address Book, QuickSilver, Automator and system services, and supports “tel” URLs and AppleScript. Scripting allows functions to be tied to the condition of other apps; iCal, for example, can be set to di…
Tags: apple, mac, Technology
Microsoft: New software not Symantec, McAfee rival
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
BOSTON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp’s upcoming security software is not designed to take sales from Symantec Corp and McAfee Inc as it is a stripped-down, free product that focuses purely on anti-virus protection, a Microsoft executive said.
Tags: Technology
Israeli archaeologists unearth Herod family tombs
Nov 19, 2008 Science, Technology
BEIT SAHOUR, West Bank (Reuters) - An Israeli archaeologist said on Wednesday he had unearthed what he believed were the 2,000-year-old remains of two tombs which had held a wife and daughter-in-law of the biblical King Herod.
Tags: Science, Technology
Astronauts install water recycler on space station
Nov 19, 2008 Science, Technology
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Astronauts hooked up a water recycling system and installed two new bedrooms aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday while crewmates prepared for a second spacewalk to fix the outpost’s power system.
Tags: Science, Technology
Dell Inspiron Mini 12 Review [Review]
Nov 19, 2008 Blogs, Technology
The Dell Inspiron Mini 12 is a bit confused. It packs an Intel Atom processor, which makes it a netbook. But it also has a 12-inch screen, which exceeds our definition of what a netbook can be. On one hand it’s a natural evolution of the genre in an ever growing screen size arms race, topping the 10-inchers like a razor company adding another blade. On the other, the Inspiron Mini 12 reaches a size and pricepoint that makes it comparable to far more capable systems from Dell in the same pricerange.
But rather than focus on philosophy, I’ll say that the Inspiron Mini 12 feels better than any netbook I’ve used to date…even if it cheated a bit in the process.
Design
The build of the Mini 12 is excellent. Even with the extended battery, it feels light and easy to toss around. But it’s more than the weight that makes it so comfortable to carry. Its bottom has a sandpapery texture, which grips a hand with confidence.
You’ll also notice that the side profile is tapered along the bottom edges. I don’t know that it makes any difference in how the computer actually rests on a table, but it looks nice enough.
The Mini 12’s keyboard is still not full-sized, but it’s adequate to feel comfortable and satisfyingly clicky. Meanwhile, the trackpad does leave something to be desired. The texture is simply off to me, simultaneously smooth and bumpy, it almost feels like a skin rash. The right and left mouse buttons below tend to recess when pressed more than any laptop I’ve ever used. It’s and off-putting sensation at first, but I grew to appreciate the mechanical feel.
As for the screen, it’s a luxury to use. The experience is completely different than an 8.9-inch display that you find in most standard netbooks nowadays (including own Dell’s Mini 9). There’s decent color, solid contrast, and sharp 1280X800 resolution…but just moderate brightness. The max setting was just adequately bright, which considering the fact that LCDs fade with time, is something to keep in mind—especially if you like to fry your eyes like I do.
The biggest surprise of the testing had to be how cool the system ran. The bottom didn’t heat my lap at all, feeling only lukewarm to the touch. I can only assume that the larger case mixed with a low wattage processor dissipates heat very well. However the engineering worked out, I’ll take it.
But if there was one thing I would change, it would be the charging and power light. It sits on the hinge in a prominent position that you can see even when closed, but it’s far too dim, and it’s viewable from a very limited range of angles. Put it this way, for the first day I had the system, I thought Dell had omitted this light altogether.
Ultimately though, it’s just a nice looking machine that feels great to put yours hands on, a far cry from the humble original Eee and something you’ll be proud to pull out at board meetings and pretentious coffee shops alike.
Function
So here’s the rub: While I love the Dell design, the hardware/software combination has slowed the Mini 12 to barely usable levels. The model I tested was the $550 base system with a 1.33GHz Atom, 1GB of RAM and 40GB hard drive. That system should be alright for XP (though we’d love to see a 2GB RAM upgrade option), but it’s just not enough to power Vista. And you can only buy the system with Vista.
The system crawls with constant multi-second stalls, and effective multitasking is pretty much impossible. Sadly, there’s not much more to say on the topic. Simple mental math tells us that this system shouldn’t be running Vista as it skirts the minimum requirements of Home Basic, and our real world testing shows us the same thing. Of course, Vista alone doesn’t mean you should pass over the Mini 12. Just expect to reinstall the OS with the purchase and come to terms with the fact that your paying licensing rights for an OS that you won’t use.
Battery Life
I tested the battery life through MPEG4 video playback with the default processing settings and the screen at max brightness (max, to me, is the ideal viewing brightness).
Base 3-cell Battery - 1 hour, 20 minutes
Extended 6-cell battery - 4 hours, 2 minutes
At a glance, this 12-inch Dell system looks to about as power efficient as the 10-inch MSI Wind, though it loses about 20 minutes on the 3-cell battery (we’re guessing through a combination of more computational rigorous testing methods and a larger screen). Keep in mind that if you expect to hang out around a plug, the AC adapter is quite light, lacking any big power brick to speak of.
Back to Square One
Without opening the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 box, I would have expected exactly what I encountered—a solidly built system that shouldn’t be running Vista. But even loaded with XP, and even in the $600 configuration that we’d recommend (1.6GHz Atom, 60GB hard drive, 1GB RAM and 6-cell battery), the system still begs the question of value. A slightly smaller, equally powered MSI Wind will run you $350. And you can get a slightly bigger Core2Duo Dell laptop for $600 easy.
It’s true. From a performance standpoint alone, there’s almost no question that the Dell Mini 12 isn’t “worth it.” But if you don’t want to squint at a screen yet you still want a system that breaks the 3-pound barrier, then it’s hard not to be a little infatuated with the Mini 12. Just rip Vista off that thing as quickly as possible. [Dell]
Tags: gadgets, Technology
Just a Peek - StoryMill
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
Vern Seward put Mariner Software’s StoryMill through its paces to see if it is a useful tool for writers. While it will help you organize your ideas, it won’t make you into an award winning writer. Read on for his first impressions on StoryMill
Tags: apple, computers, mac, Technology
Zenoss Core 2.3 ported to Mac
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
Zenoss has released a Mac installer for Zenoss Core 2.3, the latest iteration of its IT monitoring software. Core is an open-source program used to handle the configuration of networks, servers and software, and then monitor overall performance and stability. The app operates on a modeling concept, and maps all of the available IT resources into a single entity. To add items into the system, ad…
Tags: apple, mac, Technology
iTunes Plus coming to 3 remaining majors?
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
Apple is discussing deals with the three major music labels yet to sign on to iTunes Plus to remove the locks on their music as well, alleged sources tell CNET. Two reported contacts describe “preliminary” negotiations that would expand Apple’s deal for music without copy protection beyond EMI and independents to include Sony, Warner and Universal. The talks are said to have been spread over the…
Tags: apple, mac, Technology
Suit forces eHarmony to offer gay dating service
Nov 19, 2008 Technology
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Online dating service eHarmony has agreed to create a new website for gays and lesbians as part of a settlement with a gay man in New Jersey, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General said on Wednesday.
Tags: internet, Technology