I hate "no laptop in training classes"

I was tied up all day today in a mandatory training class and it was one of those that allow no laptops to be used during the class.  This particular trainer was the first I've seen that extended that to Tablet PCs so I was not allowed to take notes in ink on my Tablet.  I understand why they don't want folks to have the distraction of using a laptop during the class but I showed him how I take notes and explained that I do it this way so I can search those notes in the future to get my hands on important information gleaned from the class.  I got a firm "no" so the Tablet stayed nestled in my closed gear bag.  The only result was I took no notes as I don't like paper for that.  Sheesh.  Maybe he's heard of stealth blogging.  :)

Windows Mobile app controls home automation systems

There's no doubt in my mind that our planned retirement home in the Poconos will be wired up the wahoo for home automation. Since it's 100 miles away from our current home, I'll want to monitor and see everything that goes on up there. [Personal note to our kids: whatever you were planning to do up there when I'm not around... don't.] Home Automation, Inc. is one of my favorite sites to lust after remote controls, interfaces and switches and today they announced a handy bit of Windows Mobile software.

With their new Snap-Link Mobile application on a Windows Mobile 5.0 or better phone, you can monitor and control all of the items in your home automation setup: lights, security, audio, thermostats, webcams and more. [That's right kids: WEBCAMS. Hence the above personal note]. You'll need an Ethernet-enabled controller, like the Omni or Luna that HAI offers, and there are no subscription fees for the software.

Web browsing in the new Origami Experience 2.0

Earlier this week, I mentioned an upcoming four-part series on Origami Experience 2.0 and the first installment is available. Today, Brandon shows off the web browsing functionality built directly into OE 2.0. Without leaving Origami Central, you can view the web in an IE7-like browser that offers some extra bells and whistles. You'll notice that this browser version is a little more touch-friendly for navigation and includes RSS subscriptions as well as web page snapshots. I like how the History from the URL Address bar shows previously viewed sites as tiles for simple choosing.

The Origami Project site indicates that the software will be available soon, so this four-parter may coincide with an official Origami Experience launch for UMPC owners. Stay tuned!

Update: As an MVP, I just got a pre-release version through Microsoft. I'm not able to share the actual file, but I'll take a look-see to find out what might be different from the earlier beta I used last year.

And the latest OS install on my UMPC is...

I think I've had my new Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium UMPC for around six weeks now. In that time, I've run Windows XP Tablet Edition (which came pre-installed), Windows Vista and even Mac OS X. It's time to settle down now and that means I need an operating system for the long haul. Yes, I might do more experimenting, perhaps with a Linux distro or two, but I need my UMPC to be usable and rock-solid for everyday mobile use. So I've just wiped the drive and made a choice. Many of you would choose otherwise, but I went with Microsoft Windows Vista.

Get healthier with free video workouts on your iPod

I doubt I can turn my 120-pound frame into an Ultimate Fighting Championship contender with this tip, but with the power of the iPod, you never know. Men's Health is now offering video workout instructions freely available for downloading to your iPod. You'll need to register for a free Men's Health account online, but that's the only stipulation. No iPod? No problem. Just download the .mp4 files and watch them on your computer.

The instruction is pretty straightforward, showing you how to do each exercise and telling you how many reps and sets of each you should do. The video does the planning for you, so all you have to do is watch and execute. This might be a better workout for me than the current one: fifty curls with the iPhone a day. Maybe I'll add the twisting lunge shown... although I'd probably replace the weight with a UMPC.

MobileTechRoundup 131: divine freeware

CLICK HERE to download the file and listen directly.
MoTR 131 is 34:20 minutes long and is a 32.1 MB file in MP3 format.

INTRO: Based on “Time v2.1″ by Meta Sektion, additional mixing by James Kendrick.
HOSTS: James Kendrick (Houston), Matthew Miller (Seattle) and Kevin C. Tofel (Philadelphia)

TOPICS:

Boingo Wireless, Starbucks and you. First impressions; $22 a month for PCs and $8 for mobile phone WiFi.
We tested the Skype Mobile Java client right before the show. Impressive!
What compelling features would make you upgrade to a new Apple iPhone?
Freeware of the show: DupeDeDupe removes duplicate contacts from your Windows Mobile device.
Alternative freeware: Outlook Duplicate Remover, courtesy of St. Thomas the Apostle in the UK.
Palm is beta testing something new and exciting. What could it be?
Hotspot or 3G: which do we choose and why?

• If you like the show, please consider voting for us at Podcast Alley. It only takes a minute and it helps us get the word out about the show!
• We’re actively seeking additional sponsors, so if you’re a mobile hardware, software or services company, give us a shout!

CONTACT US: E-mail us or leave us a voicemail on our SkypeLine!
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Outlook task types: use the Icon field for a quick look

What happens when you have so much free time on your hands that you actually look at every possible field in Outlook? You find a useful productivity nugget... or you fall asleep from boredom, whichever comes first. The How-To Geek folks luckily found something before nodding off and I like the idea for smaller-screened devices.

I always take advantage of the sliding To-Do bar in Outlook 2007: it's there when I need to see it, but hides with the touch of a button. By customizing the view of the To-Do list view underneath the calendar and adding the Icon field, you can get an idea of the task type with a quick glance. In the example shown, the icons next to the items in the task list show one recurring task and two e-mails flagged for follow up. Handy when you want to get a handle on your task types and don't want to waste time opening them.

Skype 3.8 for Windows drops beta tag, profile images in requests

The beta of Skype 3.8 for Windows lasted for about a month because the newest version dropped the beta tag yesterday. Most changes are under the hood, but one that's notably visible (or invisible, depending on how you view it) is the removal of profile images for Skype authorization requests. Apparently, some folks were using offensive images, so your potential new friends on Skype won't see your mug or avatar on an authorization request.

The folks at Skype indicate that most of the improvements in this version are on the audio side: less background noise, delays and cut-offs. The UPnP implementation that Skype developed in-house is in there too... no more relying on Microsoft's UPnP framework. All of the ongoing improvements keep Skype on all of my mobile devices; over the past three years, it's gone from fun novelty to an everyday staple of my workday.

With a subsidized Apple iPhone, everyone wins

Yesterday the news rumors hit that AT&T might be subsidizing the next Apple iPhone. On our podcast, we discuss what it will take for us to upgrade or buy a new iPhone: what compelling features, for example, would get us to pull the trigger. That show will be up later today, but it was recorded before the subsidy rumors. Now that they're out there, what does it mean? If true, it means that everyone wins. Nobody truly loses anything that I can see.

From a consumer standpoint, people will get the latest and greatest iPhone for $200 less than what it would cost without the subsidy. Yes, they would commit to a two-year service plan with AT&T, but original iPhone customers did the same, so there's no difference there. Apple still gets the same retail price per phone, since the AT&T subsidy offsets the discount. And if you hit an Apple store to buy your phone, it sounds like they'll make an additional $200 as there's no subsidy there. That begs the question of why would anyone buy an iPhone in a retail Apple Store? If I were Apple, I'd want those customers in my store because they're more likely to come back and buy other Apple gear.

I'm personally not a fan of subsidized phones, but this selling model is ingrained into the American cellular market, so it wouldn't surprise me if the news were indeed true. In this particular case, the consumer isn't any worse off, although there actually is a loser in all this that I just thought off: AT&T's competitors. I'm sure we'll hear of mass migration numbers as customers leave other carriers for a subsidized iPhone. Will you be one of them?

Tabbed PDF viewing arrives in Foxit Reader

I won't speak for the group, but I find Adobe Acrobat Reader a necessary evil. It seems like when I haven't installed it, people send me PDFs up the ying-yang. And of course, when I do carry it around on my UMPC, it's taking up space for no good reason. It's as if the installation alone is a PDF-repellant somehow.

Foxit Reader might be the best compromise I can think of. The download is about a tenth of the size of the full blown Reader from Acrobat, which is useful for devices with limited storage. For the one day of the year that I get multiple PDF files sent to me, the newest version offers tabbed viewing for even more efficiency. Just like the original, it's free for the downloading on the PC of your choice.

Coffee Break- first Mini-Note in the wild

So I'm sitting in Starbucks working on the HP Mini-Note and look what I saw walk in the door:

It's already started with the Mini in the wild.  :)  BTW, his is the $749 model same as the one I'm using on the left.

Funny thing is when I was snapping this picture of the two Minis and my friend and I were talking all about it another guy watching came up and asked us if the Via processor was stout enough to handle the Mini.  After a minute he introduced himself as an employee of Via, who I didn't even know had an office in town, and he was excited about the Via being chosen by HP.  Isaiah will be available in limited quantities in June he said.

Vista Speech Recognition gets macro support

It's been a long while since I last used Speech Recognition in Windows Vista, but in my defense, I constantly have music playing when I'm on the computer. All I need is for "Relax" to fire up from my 1980's daydreams and have Vista put the PC into Hibernation. Still, I think that Speech Recognition is oft overlooked, which is why I'm excited to try the technical preview of Windows Speech Recognition Macros.

The idea is that you can script one or several tasks and essentially assign a voice tag to the macro. Lifehacker used it to insert an HTML signature to their e-mails and it sounds like it worked just fine. This might tip me over to re-installing Vista on the UMPC because the dual-array microphones on the Q1 series are excellent for this type of functionality.

SlingPlayer Mobile clients get upgraded

The latest and greatest SlingPlayer Mobile clients get a refresh today. Current license owners get the upgrades free-of-charge, while folks new to placeshifting content on a handheld will have to ante up the $30 license fee. Of course, you could try the 30-day free trial before dropping your coin as well.

Windows Mobile goes to v1.6 while the nearly new Symbian S60 client bumps up to v1.1. Some new handsets are supported with these updates (the Nokia N95 8GB, Samsung i760 and Treo 500v come to mind) and there's improvement in streaming video quality for some phones along with support for additional set-top boxes. Hit up the Sling Media downloads page to get your upgrade or free trial.

Free Star Wars eBook for your Kindle, Reader or computer

OK, you'll have to like Star Wars for this deal to be of any value, so if you don't, stop reading now. Hmm... I feel in the Force that most of you are still with me. Go figure. Del Rey has a free eBook download of the first title in the "Legacy of the Force" series available until May 13th. That's the day when then the ninth and final title in the series hits bookshelves, so if you get hooked on the first one, you'll have eight more stories in the sequence.

You can download an unprotected PDF of the book, an audio edition or a version for your Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader. Not a bad deal for those that haven't strayed to the Dark Side. Also: a good use of eBooks as a marketing tool. I have the very bad habit of finishing practically every book series I start so you can bet Del Rey will get more sales out of me this way.

(via MobileRead)

Microsoft releases SP3 for Windows XP. Will there be an SP4?

Still running the venerable but stable XP version of Microsoft Windows? Starting today you can make a good system better with Service Pack 3. The 316 MB package is available for direct download if you know where to look. BetaNews has the URL if you want to get the service pack before the official unveiling: a quick check of Microsoft's Windows XP page still highlights SP2. Don't expect any major feature changes; instead, the service pack mostly offers up well over a thousand hotfixes.

I realize that Microsoft is planning to stop selling Windows XP on June 30th (with exceptions for Ultra Low Cost PCs), but one has to wonder if this is the last service pack or not. My gut says that this is it as Microsoft hopes to migrate more and more PC users to Vista. Thoughts?

Update: MS says "not so fast" and has held back SP3 from Windows Update due to a compatibility issue with Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System.

(via DailyTech)

Lenovo U110 IdeaPad now available starting at $1,899

It's official: the Lenovo U110 IdeaPad is now available direct from the Lenovo site. A red one will currently get to you faster than a black one: 3 to 5 days vs. 2 to 3 weeks. Then again, a black U110 might be a smidge faster if the specs are correct: it apparently offers a 5400 RPM 120 GB drive instead of a 4200 RPM in the red base model. Might be a typo there.

Both start at $1,899 which gets you:

• 11.1-inch WXGA display
  
• Intel L7500 Core 2 Duo at 1.6 GHz
  
• Windows Vista Home Premium
  
• 2 GB of RAM; adding another GB will cost you $100
  
• Integrated DVD-Recordable optical drive
  
• VeriFace facial recognition
  
• 2 hours of runtime with the 4-cell battery, plus another 6 hours with the 7-cell battery. Looks like both are included.
  
• Integrated WiFi, Bluetooth, 1.3-megapixel camera, ExpressCard slot, 6-in-1 media card reader and three USB ports

The U110 has a nice weight of 2.4-pounds with the standard battery and it's less than an inch thick. I like the form factor for sure. Lenovo has definitely packed a bit o' tech in a small, light package. When we saw the unit at CES, we really like the touch controls for media as well as the frameless display. Here's the full set of specs in a PDF. Definitely a nice package that compares to Lenovo's own X300, the MacBook Air and the Sony VAIO TZ-line.

jkOnTheRun video- Windows XP on the HP Mini-Note

I couldn't wait for HP to release it, I had to install Windows XP on the Mini-Note to see how it runs compared to Vista.  I performed a clean install of Windows XP using good instructions found on the web and it went clean and easy.  In this video I show how snappy the system runs doing normal tasks like opening Microsoft Office programs, surfing the web and running the Windows Explorer.  I am pleased with the performance of the Mini-Note running XP but you can judge for yourself after watching the video.  Enjoy!

BTW, the Zune theme I am running can be downloaded here since I know many will ask.

Upgrading RAM on the HP Mini-Note- video tutorial

A lot of folks have asked me how easy it is to upgrade the RAM in the HP Mini-Note and fellow Mini-Notester Joanna Stern of Laptop Magazine has produced a video showing it done.  Joanna upgraded the 1 GB stick that came in her Mini to a 2 GB stick and shows the entire process.  It is pretty straightforward although watching her pop the keyboard out to gain access to the DIMM slot made me nervous.  Have a look and see what's involved.

Portable notebook stand for those on the run moments

I am a firm believer in using laptop stands in my office to provide the proper angle so my typing experience is more ergonomic.  Typical stands are too big and bulky to carry when out and about but reader Lee Robbins just solved that problem for me.  The Pocket Notebook Stand closes to the size of a mouse and only weighs 3.8 ounces but when opened props that notebook up to just the angle you prefer.  This provides not only ergonomic comfort but good airflow to keep the notebook cool as a breeze. $17.

Final thoughts: Mac OS X on a UMPC

Wow, I had only planned to leave OS X Leopard on my Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium for a few days and it's been about two weeks. That alone probably says something right there.

In any case, it's time to say good-bye and get another operating system on the device. Some thoughts...

Origami Experience 2.0: a closer inspection

The Origami Experience 2.0 software is getting a four-part overview by Brandon LeBlanc at The Windows Experience blog. For the moment, Brandon just has an introductory post, but he promises part one very soon. As part of the Microsoft MVP program, James and I have been able to look at and use a beta version of OE 2.0, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the final version shakes out. I don't have any additional details on availability or if it will be made available as a free download to all UMPC owners (XP and Vista), so don't ask just yet. I'm sure we'll have the info soon enough unless Brandon shares it first.

One thing I really liked in the beta version is shown in the above pic that Brandon posted. There are various bits that can be customized for weather and RSS feeds, which makes the entire experience better than the first go around in my opinion.

Dual USB charger: two ports are better than one

This USB charger from Sigma APO pulls double duty, which means I like it twice as much as chargers I have now. The unit plugs in to an AC outlet (aka: "the holes" for the Seinfeld fans and Slippery Pete) and offers two USB ports to charge a pair of devices at one time. It's rated at 5V and 1000 mA, so each port gets 500 mA of juice. The Sigma APO site is in Japanese, so I'll have to lean on Google's translation services to try and get one of these across the ocean. If I can, there's no doubt this 43 gram device will become a permanent fixture on any future trips.

(via Akihabara News)

Programming note

I spent my morning working in Starbucks, but have been off the clock all day after that. Unfortunately, my father was let go from his state employment position and I've attempted some damage control with him at his home. Luckily, he's just nine miles away. I normally try to find worthwhile mobile tech items to write about all day long as this is my full-time vocation. Guess that makes you folks my bosses? Oy!

Regardless, I'm glad I had my UMPC and EV-DO card with me as my father doesn't have Internet service in his home. We actually just moved him to the house in February, where he lives alone. I'd been harping on him to get some web service, but it didn't happen. Since he has no access to his work e-mail, which was his only e-mail address, we were able to quickly set him up with a Gmail account. Thanks to some phone calls and networking, his first e-mail is already in with a potential job opportunity. If you're a person of prayer and can spare one for him, I'd personally appreciate it. In any case, he's working on the list of "to-do's" that we came up with and I'm back on the clock. I'll make up the time to you, so please don't dock my vacation time, 'k? Thanks. :)

Mac to Mac Internet Sharing: an issue and the fix

We've shown you how to share a Windows Mobile Internet connection with a Mac and it's a very painless process. Apparently sharing that web connection between one Mac and another isn't as straightforward. Dan Moren over at MacWorld wanted to do just that between two Macs using a cable and the Internet Sharing setting, but ran into a snag that wasn't readily transparent.

Based on his experience, it turns out that while the second Mac could get an IP address, it wouldn't connect to anything beyond. Some digging on the web turned up this interesting and useful tidbit: the second port he set up gets the same subnet as the first. Dan figured out that he could assign a manual IP address to his Mac and do the same with the other Mac to get them on the same network to share the connection. I'd be surprised if this particular issue doesn't get addressed in a future update to Mac OS X. From an end-user standpoint, it should generally be as simple as checking the Internet Sharing checkbox in the Sharing settings.

PDAMill sets their Palm OS games free. Literally.

A year-ago this February, PDAMill stopped developing games for the Palm OS. Instead of letting those games collect dust, PDAMill decided to make them available for free. You can download and install full, unlocked versions of titles like Snails, Gamebox Solitaire, Arvale: Journey of Illusion and more. Hit up the Palm OS page at PDAMill and have fun. You won't get any technical support since the titles are no longer in development, but this is a great way to add new life to that old Palm device.

(via PalmAddicts)

Slacker Portable player now connects to protected WiFi hotspots

Mari Silbey has been enjoying her Slacker Portable player for six weeks or so and today she shares her impressions. I read her thoughts with interest, not just because she's local to me, but also because the Slacker device offers a music experience that my Apple iPhone doesn't. I personally like a wide variation of music, so purchasing it is a second-best option for me. For a year, I enjoyed the $15, all-you-can-eat ZunePass subscription service. Now I tend to flip between Pandora and Internet radio stations on iTunes when not listening to tunes on the iPhone.

Slacker offers customizable "radio stations" online and if you buy the portable player starting at $199 for 15 stations and 2 GB of memory, your stations will automatically be downloaded to the Slacker Portable. You'll hear ads unless you opt for a premium plan at $7.50 a month. The portable device has a beautiful screen and integrated WiFi, so you can listen to fresh music where there's a wireless signal. I originally shied away from the Slacker because the device could only use open hotspots; reading Mari's article, I see that the device now supports connections to protected hotspots, making it that much more appealing. That's probably because I'm in the local Starbucks right now which, by the way, has already made the switch to AT&T for WiFi. Have to get that Starbucks card for my 2-hours of free Wifi, which would give my EV-DO modem a break!

Win one of 31 HP HDX Dragon notebooks! The 31 Days of the Dragon goes live

I played with an HP HDX, affectionately known as the Dragon, earlier this year and it is absolutely the finest desktop replacement notebook you'll ever see.  HP and BuzzCorps have taken it on themselves to give away not one of these $4,500 systems but 31!  One Dragon will be given away every single day of the 31 Days of the Dragon promotion from each of the participating web sites including here at jkOnTheRun.  Here's the deets of each awesome HDX to be given away:

The HP HDX Dragon comes with Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit) and is powered by an Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor X9000 (2.80GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB). Other features include 20.1" diagonal WUXGA High-Definition HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen (1920x1200) 1080p, 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm), 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS, HP Imprint Finish (Dragon) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone, Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth, 500GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (250GB x 2), Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer, Integrated HP HDTV Hybrid TV Tuner and 4 Altec Lansing speakers with HP Triple Bass Reflex subwoofer, and 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery.

The entertainment notebooks will come with these evaluation software titles: Microsoft Office, Corel PaintShop Pro X2, Corel Painter Essentials, Corel Ulead Video Studio Plus  11.5, Symantec Norton Internet Security.

For the gamers in us the winners will receive the following games: Viva Piñata,Microsoft Flight Sim, Microsoft Flight Sim Expansion Pack, Gears of War.

And since this is an entertainment beast, you will enjoy the following Blu Ray movies out of the box: Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End.

Each of these giveaway packages is as big as you'll ever see anywhere but there are 31 OF THESE TO BE GIVEN AWAY!

Each of the 31 participating web sites will run a 7 day contest on the following dates and you can enter in each and every one of them:

02 May - 09 May www.absolutevista.com
03 May - 10 May www.arstechnica.com
04 May - 11 May www.osnn.net
05 May - 12 May www.jkontherun.com
06 May - 13 May digitalmediaphile.wordpress.com  
07 May - 14 May www.bostonpocketpc.com 
08 May - 15 May www.the-gadgeteer.com
09 May - 16 May www.thedigitallifestyle.com
10 May - 17 May www.digitalhomethoughts.com
11 May - 18 May www.windows-now.com
12 May - 19 May www.windowsconnected.com
13 May - 20 May www.geekstogo.com
14 May - 21 May bink.nu  
15 May - 22 May www.mediablab.com
16 May - 23 May www.last100.com  
17 May - 24 May www.labnol.org 
18 May - 25 May www.notebooks.com
19 May - 26 May www.slashdotreview.com
20 May - 27 May www.neowin.net
21 May - 28 May www.geek.com
22 May - 29 May www.lockergnome.com  
23 May - 30 May www.planetx64.com
24 May - 31 May www.thegreenbutton.com
25 May - 01 Jun www.istartedsomething.com
26 May - 02 Jun www.bleepingcomputer.com
27 May - 03 Jun www.hardwaregeeks.com
28 May - 04 Jun www.geeknewscentral.com  
29 May - 05 Jun www.geekzone.co.nz
30 May - 06 Jun www.thetabletpc.net
31 May - 07 Jun www.gearlive.com
01 Jun - 08 Jun www.gottabemobile.com

You'll have to mark these dates and sites down on your calendar as you won't want to miss entering each and every one of these for your chance at a great HP Dragon.  Each site will run their own contest so you need to check in to see what you need to do to win at each one.  Heck, this prize is worth a bit of work, isn't it?  Stay tuned to May 5 to see what you need to do to win here at jkOnTheRun.  The contest is open to anyone in the world, no US only for this big event!  This is so exciting!

Join me in thanking HP and BuzzCorps for this incredible giveaway!

HP Mini-Note meets Windows XP

Last night I decided to see for myself how well the HP Mini-Note runs under Windows XP.  I did a clean install of Windows XP Pro and got my core applications installed.  Today I'm going to give it a test spin and see how much faster (if any) the Mini runs under XP.  Note that I didn't find it ran particularly slow most of the time under Vista Business but I suspect overall it should be snappier under XP.  It was relatively easy to install XP as I found good instructions on the web from those who have found all the HP drivers needed for XP even though HP hasn't released any officially yet.  I had to snap this photo from the install as it seemed eerily prophetic, those XP developers no doubt predicted what was yet to come in Vista:

jkOnTheRun video- using OS X on the HP Mini-Note via LogMeIn

Since I mentioned that I have been running OS X on the HP Mini-Note through LogMeIn I have gotten a lot of questions about the performance I get doing so.  I use LogMeIn to remotely access my MacBook Pro on the HP Mini-Note and it is quite productive.  In this video my intention is to show how responsive the LogMeIn connection renders OS X on the Mini and thus demonstrate how I am able to get real work done with this method.  The 17" MacBook Pro runs at a screen resolution of 1680x1050 and I demonstrate how the lower resolution of the Mini (1280x768) handles that using great utility built right into LogMeIn.  You'll also see how I can even access the external 2nd monitor on the Mac through the Mini.  Have a look at how cool OS X looks running on the HP Mini-Note in full-screen mode, it's just like being there.  :)  This is done using the free version of LogMeIn which makes it even better.

PS: Before you start jumping on me I know there are other remote access solutions out there.  I use LogMeIn because the free version is good enough for what I need and because I can run a Mac from anything else.

Buy.com outs Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium Vista model

This isn't a terribly huge surprise, but it appears that Buy.com is now offering a different variation of the Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium. I bought the Q1UP-XP which had Microsoft Windows XP Tablet Edition pre-installed and 1 GB of RAM. The Q1UP-V will of course sport Microsoft Windows Vista, although I can't tell which edition it will have. My guess would be the Home Premium edition, although the Business and Ultimate editions also support Tablet PC functionality.

The price for the Q1UP-V at Buy.com is listed at $1,449.00, which is a $150 premium over what I paid for my UMPC running Windows XP. The extra cost gets you Vista, but also gets you a 2 GB stick of RAM installed; I don't see any other differences. While it's not difficult to buy and install the 2 GB yourself, I could see some folks just opt to buy this higher-priced model so the upgrade is done for them. Buy.com shows the device as temporarily out-of-stock with no ETA on an availability date.

(via Origami Project)

Laptop Mag- how to configure HP Mini-Note for Skype video calls

In my review of the HP Mini-Note, I lamented over the inability to get the device to make decent Skype video calls.  The HP can make audio calls just fine but video is too choppy to be of any use.  Joanna Stern of Laptop Magazine agrees with me and decided to find a way to make it work.  I am happy to report she has been successful so check out her article to see how you can change the Mini-Note's configuration to get Skype video calls to work acceptably if that is important to you.  Well done, Joanna!

Dell and Microsoft's big shoving match- XP preinstalls

We've certainly discussed the need to continue using XP on a lot of the mobile computers being sold today.  Consumers and OEMs both are aware that the healthy hardware needs of Vista make the need to continue supplying XP as the OS of choice for these computers a hard reality.  Microsoft has said that on June 30 XP preinstalls are to go away, although recently they seem to be back-pedaling on that a little.  OEMs are now allowed to include XP "downgrades" with new computers as long as they preinstall Vista as Microsoft wishes.  No doubt this is intended to allow Microsoft to keep quoting big sales numbers for Vista, even though many savvy consumers end up replacing the Vista install with the included XP.

Now Dell is flexing its muscles by offering to preinstall XP over the Vista install for select computers.  This is clearly against Microsoft's wishes and it will be interesting to see how this plays out.  Dell's Windows XP Availability web page explains how this works:

When you are configuring your system online or through the help of one of our sales experts, you will have the opportunity to select which operating system you would like on your PC. When selecting your operating system, you will see an option called “Genuine Windows^®  Vista Business BONUS” and “Genuine Windows^®  Vista Ultimate BONUS.”  With these options, you may purchase the licensed rights to Windows Vista but have Dell factory install Windows XP Professional. You will also receive a backup media disc for Windows XP Professional as well as the media for Windows Vista so you can upgrade when you’re ready. Furthermore, with these options Dell will provide technical support for the factory-installed Windows XP Professional image and your licensed version of Windows Vista.

While you are technically buying a system with Vista installed as per Microsoft's wishes, Dell will save you the trouble of having to downgrade to XP yourself by doing it for you.  This is no doubt in anticipation of consumer demand because Dell certainly wouldn't go to this trouble just for fun.  Let's see how this all plays out.

(via CNET)

SugarSync reviewed: sweet service for file synching

I've been reviewing SugarSync for the past several weeks and had an opportunity to publish a brief review at PC World. As a result, I won't cover it here, but instead will direct you to my thoughts online in case you're looking for a solution to sync files between multiple devices. There's definitely some plusses with SugarSync, especially for folks that use both PCs and Macs, but there's one feature I'd like to see included in the future. Based on my conversations with the good folks at SugarSync, that feature is high on the priority list. What is it? You'll have to read the review to find out.

My standard disclosure applies here: I get paid from PC World on a flat-fee, per article basis. There's no financial incentive gained for me to send you over to the article; I'm simply sharing the information for those that might be interested in the review.

Guy Kawasaki visits Houston- video is online!

Guy Kawasaki visited the Houston Technology Center last night and spoke to 200 people.  I really regret not being there but I am happy to report that the entire "Art of the Start" presentation is online for free viewing.  Guy Kawasaki is one of the very first software evangelists and a great speaker and I watched the speech this morning.  Great information presented in a very entertaining manner and I highly recommend everyone to watch this.  It's not just for those starting a business either, Guy's insights are applicable to many different things so don't overlook it for that reason.  I will be certain to attend any future sessions he gives in Houston.  Thanks to all the great Houston people who made this happen, you folks rock!  The speech has been broken into two parts and you can view them directly here- Part 1, Part 2.  Don't miss Dwight Silverman's humorous introduction of Guy, very funny stuff. (photo from TechBlog)

(via TechBlog)

Super gigantic giveaway coming soon!

I can't tell you the details yet but we are very happy that we will be participating in one of the largest giveaways I have ever seen.  Details will be forthcoming shortly but let me tell you, the prize we will be giving away is staggering.  Really.

Kevin's golfing today

Just so everyone doesn't really think that I'm a slave driver that keeps Kevin chained to a computer all day, he is having a much-deserved day golfing in the Poconos.  Join me in wishing for Kevin to "break 100", something that he very well might do.  Have fun on the links buddy!

T-Mobile to launch first Android phone this year

The long awaited announcement by T-Mobile came today.  No, not the one that details the 3G launch, the one that they will indeed release an Android phone in Q4 of this year.  T-Mobile is the first major US carrier who is a member of the Open Handset Alliance to put an actual launch time frame for a handset running Google's phone OS.  Here's hoping they are better at this launch than the still vaporware 3G network.

(via CNET)

Retro-tech: cassette shell plays MP3s from SD card

My recent twenty-year high school reunion brought back some great memories: cutting class at the local Dunkin' Donuts, late night arcade runs with pockets full of quarters, and a classmate's first new car. I'll never forget that low-cost Hyundai Excel, the only option being a cassette deck to play the latest Kylie Minogue tune. I hear she's making quite a comeback, although I don't think you can buy a cassette tape of her new tunes.

You could drop $40 for this cassette-formed MP3 player from ThinkGeek though. It has an SD slot where you can load up to 2 GB worth of MP3 files for playback through some 'phones. Or you could pop it in the cassette deck of that ol' Hyundai and jam on the road. Sorry folks from the thirty-year reunion: I don't see an 8-track version although there's bound to be one out there eventually.

(via CrunchGear)

Skype intros beta Java client for mobiles

I've been waiting to see this for a while now and here it is. Skype is making a push onto standard feature phones with a new mini-version of Skype that's Java-based. The company says there are 50 supported phones right out of the gate; I hit the product page and see support for Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson handsets. Unfortunately, I don't have any from those manufacturers, so I'm unable to test it.

The new offering is severely limited: only folks in Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden and the UK can initiate calls for now. However, Skype users anywhere can receive calls, instant message and see who’s online. I like this concept much better than the dedicated Skype phone, like the one from Netgear I reviewed previously. I'm betting however, that the carriers (at least in the U.S.) won't like the idea as much as I do.

Turn your phone into a dual SIM device with DuoSIM

Are you a double-SIM card owner that's frustrated by swapping SIM cards in-and-out of the same phone repeatedly? How does $28 and less than three-minutes of effort sound to address that issue? That's all it takes as evidenced by the above Red Ferret Journal video. In it, you'll see the DuoSIM that goes inside your GSM phone. It's basically a flexible, thin-film cable that connects two SIM cards; bear in mind you'll need a wee bit o' space between your phone and the battery cover for this to work. Just place one end of the DuoSIM in your SIM slot, pop your cards in and you're good to go. Once your phone is powered on, you can switch between the two, assuming the phone OS supports it.

PenAttention: a must for presenters with Tablet PCs

Presenters using Tablet PCs, take note: you'll want to download the free PenAttention application before unveiling your next Power Point. PenAttention was written by Kenrick Mock, an associate Computer Science professor up at the University of Alaska in Anchorage. Time and time again he was frustrated by the miniscule on-screen dot of ink that appears when hovering a pen over the Tablet PC. Pretty hard to highlight the latest and greatest handwritten bit of info in OneNote when you have "OneDot" to work with no?

Problem solved with PenAttention, the free application Kenrick wrote to address the issue. After installing it on XP Tablet Edition or Vista, you'll have the option in your system tray to activate one of three on-screen pen modifications. You can have a highlight around the ink dot (shown), a pencil icon or a standard cursor icon. Great idea and one that would be nice to see become native on the Tablet PC editions of Windows. I might even download it just to write in ink with the little pencil. Oh, bonus points for the first person to solve for "n" in the above equation... but you have to show your work. No guesses.

Closed Evernote beta is open for all, today only

Big news from the Evernote folks: they've passed over one meeeeehhlion notes with the new product. Quite amazing when you consider it's only been around for two months. So to celebrate, they're having a one-day special. The closed beta is now open to all, but for today only. That means you'll have to hit their most recent blog post for the super-secret URL that gets you in today. It's back to a closed beta after 9pm, PDT today, so if you miss this window of opportunity, just register the normal way, cross your fingers and hope. Trust me: after using this product for only five minutes, I think you'll want to jump on this.

(via David Chartier)

Six more invites to the Xobni beta

I now have six more invites to the Xobni closed beta so click on my cartoon head and email me a request and the first 6 will get them.

UPDATE: They're all gone don't email for one.

First impressions of Boingo Wireless Network

The good folks at Boingo have supplied me with a demo of their WiFi hotspot service so I can tell you what I think of it.  I only got the demo set up last night and used it this morning for the first time so this is a very limited impression of what I found.  I'll keep you informed how the test progresses as I get more exposure to the Boingo Network.

I am in my usual Starbucks this morning where I have always used the T-Mobile hotspot service I pay for.  Before I got here I had installed the Goboingo software which sniffs for a WiFi network that can be used with Boingo and lets you log on if so.  Since this Starbucks is still a T-Mobile hotspot I was surprised when I opened up the browser and Goboingo popped up and told me that a Boingo network was available. This means that the AT&T service is already in place here alongside the T-Mobile service for now anyway.  I logged into the Goboingo login box and was immediately connected to the "tmobile" network according to the Windows network information.  It's working just as usual, I'm just Boingoing (is that a word?) instead of tmobiling.  If Boingo continues to work this well I will definitely cancel my T-Mobile hotspot account.

Interestingly, the goboingo software doesn't appear to be running anywhere and I couldn't get it to notify me at first. It seems it is attached to Internet Explorer and once I opened an IE window it immediately popped up the dialog box I mentioned.  As a die-hard Firefox user I don't like having to do that as it means I may miss getting notified at times.

UPDATE: I heard from the Boingo folks who clarified that the GoBoingo software is not attached to any web browser.  The minor delay I experienced getting notified that a Boingo network was available in the Starbucks was due to the unusual situation in Starbucks.  GoBoingo had to probe the T-Mobile network and then make sure that this network was available over AT&T due to Starbucks agreement and once it did that it could present the network as a Boingo network.

Sharp Willcom D4: Vista in your hand for $1,526

Those outside of Japan won't get any subsidized deal on the Sharp Willcom D4 clamshell computer. Nope, you'll have to order from an importer and add your own WWAN connectivity. Jenn at Pocketables found that Geekstuff4U is taking pre-orders for the D4: $1,526 and some spare change gets you on the list for a late June delivery if all goes well. That puts the D4 in the same price range as an OQO with a similar feature set, although the D4 is a clamshell, not a slider.

I'm still not sold on how well Vista will run on a 1.33 GHz Centrino Atom and I don't have any coin left after purchasing my Q1 Ultra Premium anyway. Does anybody else's gadget-bank have enough dough in it for the D4?

Toshiba hopes for 512 GB SSD by end of 2009

It's no secret why the adoption rate of Solid State Disk drives is plodding along slower than a Commodore 64 trying to display multitudes of sprites on the same screen. There's two main reasons: high price and low capacity. Actually, if you combine them you get one reason: the price per GB is several factors higher when compared to traditional magnetic hard drives.

News of out Toshiba via Electronista addresses that issue: the electronics giant expects to offer a 512 GB SSD drive by the end of 2009. They're on the right path as their 128 GB SSD unit should be appearing in the next few months. The best news from all this is that they expect to reduce SSD prices by 40 to 50% a year, which helps that price per GB ratio tremendously. Applying 40% to a 64 GB drive that cost about a grand last year means that same drive might run you $360 next year. Still a relatively high cost, but it's a dramatic drop.

Laptop Magazine giving away the new Asus EEE PC 900

I just heard from my friends at Laptop Magazine who have been all over the new Asus EEE PC 900.  They are giving one of the new EEE PC 900 so you can win one before you can buy one.  The EEE PC 900 they are giving away has the following specs:

• 8.9-inch screen
• 1024x600 resolution
• FingerGlide Touchpad Technology
• Xandros Linux OS
• 20GB Storage
• 2.2 pounds

All you have to do is go to the contest entry page and enter away.  Good luck!

The 90/10 rule- why Apple generates fan loyalty

I had a couple of conversations today where the subject of Apple customer loyalty arose and it made me realize that I have never written about my feelings about that.  You find a number of terms bandied about describing those who are big fans of Apple products, from "fanboys" to the "cult", and while these are often used by Apple's detractors there is little doubt that there is a fair bit of envy behind them.  What company wouldn't love to have a customer base that is so happy with their products that they are recognized as zealots?

Alltel rolling the BlackBerry Curve 8330 on May 1

Score a possible point for Alltel Wireless, the scrappy CDMA carrier in the southeastern section of the United States. Turns out that Alltel might beat out larger competitors Sprint and Verizon Wireless by being the first to roll out the BlackBerry Curve 8330 on May 1. It should all even out in the end though as the 8330 is likely to follow on Sprint and Verizon's network later in the month.

Alltel says that you can nab an 8330 for $229.99 after $100 mail-in rebate if you're a new customer adding two-years of service. The BlackBerry Curve 8330 offers a 3.5 mm headset jack, Bluetooth 2.0, full QWERTY keypad, GPS, 2-megapixel camera with video recording support, and microSD/SDHC slot. Sounds like a healthy feature-set to me; might be time to get a BlackBerry review device to put it through the paces.

LapWorks Futura Lapdesk: good for home and away

The LapWorks lapdesk I ordered last week arrived yesterday and I'm very happy with the $30 purchase already. Here's a look at the ergonomics and heat dissipation issues I'm solving with it. It's working really well in my home office, but is light enough to be used on the road as well. Sorry for all the camera jitter; my production crew took the day off. They said something about a strike until I get a haircut...