jkOnTheRun

Google's recycled mouse in two of the four Google colors

I always wondered where mice went when they died. Now I know: sadly, they end up at Google. Oh wait... these recycled mice aren't made of old mice, they're recycled from plastics. Whew, that's much less morbid. For under $20 of real, not recycled money, you can have one of these Google mice in either red or blue. There's yellow and green in the Google logo, so don't be surprised if they appear as future color options too. The small mouse offers 800 optical dpi; clearly the red optics are recycled from Skynet. Also included is a wireless USB dongle that's stored inside, next to the two AAA batteries. Not bad for travel and helps spread the Google to the three folks left on the planet that have never heard of it.

By the way, I never realized Google had an on-line store until just now. There are a few categories of all things Google, like apparel, office, fun and more. I'm jonesing for a new Google bike jersey, so that's going on my birthday wish list right now.

(via TRFJ)

Another jkOnTheRun USB hub for your stuff

Remember this?:

Now there's this:

Which still looks like this:

Don't ya think?

Another Dragon contest kickoff

Today marks the kickoff of another HP HDX Dragon contest as part of the 31 Days of the Dragon giveaway by HP and BuzzCorps.  Today's site is Geeks to Go and it looks like they actually kicked off their contest over a week ago (bad, bad geeks) so you'd better hurry up and get over there to have your chance to win a HDX for your very own.

Track gas mileage via Web or Twitter with FuelFrog

When we first bought our 2006 Hylander Hybrid, I was keeping an Excel spreadsheet of the gas prices, gallons we consumed and miles per gallon on the vehicle. I've long since stopped doing that, although I do have the first year's worth of data. It's sad to see how much the prices have jumped, but I don't need to show you a spreadsheet and convince of you that.

One of the reasons I stopped tracking that data was because it wasn't an efficient process, i.e.: at the time, I couldn't quickly and easily enter the data at the point of purchase. Enter FuelFrog, which is a web-based application that has the same functionality as my Excel method. You enter data right on the web and FuelFrog will save, graph and trend it for you. Even better: FuelFrog takes advantage of the Twitter API, so a quick text message of your data serves as the data entry point. If you go that route, just use the following format for your SMS: @fuelfrog miles price gallons-MPG. Too bad a GPS with WiFi couldn't capture that data from my car and automagially send up to the Internets for me. How about it, Dash folks?

(via ReadWriteWeb)

Remote sharing extended to the max

Kevin and I have chats a lot, we discuss a lot of things and this morning was no different than most.  Kevin wanted to show me something he was working with on his Mac so we started an iChat session and he then shared his desktop with me.  The remote desktop sharing in iChat works really well and we spent a good half hour with him showing me what he was doing with me following everything by watching his Mac.  I was on my MacBook Pro watching him whiz the mouse around when a diabolical idea hit me.  I logged into my MBP from the Lenovo U110 using LogMeIn and it was surreal how I was manipulating Kevin's Mac in Philly using the IdeaPad in Houston that was actually controlling my Mac here.  It's enough to make my head explode.  :)

Freedom Blade cell antenna boosts your bars

I'm pretty lucky in terms of EV-DO and cellular coverage throughout the region where I work and live. Still, there are times when I'm in a building and the signal just can't get to me. Chris Leckness shows a YouTube video of the Freedom Blade Cellular Antenna booster and I was extremely impressed at the signal gain it offered him. Sitting in the middle of a brick building, he shows that he had "No Signal" for his HSDPA card on AT&T's service. A few seconds after he attached the Freedom Blade: four bars out of five as shown from my screen cap.

For around $50, this could be a must-have for folks that use cell phones for data or voice in a location where their signal gets blocked. It looks light and small enough to carry around all of the time and includes a handy little base so you stand the unit up. Sweet!

Microsoft OneCare 2.0 free after rebate

I'm not going to debate who's got the best anti-virus and anti-spyware software on the market, that would be anti-productive. Instead, I'll just point out that Microsoft OneCare 2.0 can be had for free after a mail-in rebate. You can purchase the software from Amazon for $30, which ought to qualify you for free shipping, and then send in the $30 rebate request (PDF). The rebate is also good towards an in-store purchase of OneCare, but I doubt you'll find it that cheap.

I did beta test and then pay for OneCare when it first came to market and it did a pretty solid job for my PCs. I did have an occasionally over-zealous firewall as a result, but was always able to work around any issues that popped up. Folks should realize that OneCare is a subscription model, just like many of its competitors, so this deal will get you the software and a year of coverage. After that you'll have to renew or you'll miss out on updates to the program's virus definition files. If you're just looking for basic anti-virus protection, you can try my current PC solution: AVG Free.

(via CyberNet)

Lenovo IdeaPad U110 in da house- sexy factor off the meter!

I've only had it in my hands for just a few minutes but let me tell you, the Lenovo IdeaPad U110 is the sexiest notebook I've played with by far.  It is almost as light and thin as the latest model by that fruit company but far smaller overall due to its 11.1-inch screen running at a cool 1366x768 resolution.  I won't get into much detail here but I had to share some photos of this very attractive notebook.  This unit has a Core 2 Duo processor running at 1.6 GHz, 2 GB of memory, a 5-in-1 card reader, ExpressCard slot, VeriFace face recognition login, web cam, Bluetooth, WiFi, two batteries (4 and 7 cells), external DVD drive, 3 USB 2.0 ports, firewire, Dolby sound system, whew!  That's a lot in such a small package.  How small?  275 x 196 x 22.4 mm weighing in at 2.42 - 2.92 lbs depending on the battery attached.  Here's the promised pics until later:

More after the jump.

More free games for the Palm OS: Ellams Software

It seems like such a short time ago when we mentioned a Palm OS developer set their games free. Oh that's right: it was just earlier this week. Now there's another development shop following PDAMill's lead. Ellams Software is now offering their Palm OS games for free as well. A donation is requested if you like any of the 16 available games, but it's not necessary. Some of these games will work on older Palm OS devices as there's mention of some running on version 3.5 of the OS.

(via Palm Infocenter)

Targus Bluetooth Laser mouse: lightweight, dual-resolution and rechargeable batteries

Surely you can carry another two ounces of gear, right? That's all the Targus Bluetooth Laser mouse would add to your burden. TabletPCReview's Jerry Jackson gave this wireless rodent a full review and it appears to have come away a winner. You can switch the laser mouse from 800- to 1600-dpi in just a few seconds for improved accuracy and Targus includes two AAA rechargeable batteries. Jerry used the mouse for a full three weeks during his review and the mouse hasn't died yet. When he needs to, he can just use the included USB cable to recharge from a notebook.

Targus kept the design simple: just two buttons and middle scroll-wheel, which can be used as a third button. The only major annoyance seems to be the power saving functionality. After just a few minutes of inactivity, there was a noticeable lag before the mouse woke up from its nap. Still, at an MSRP of of $70 and online pricing in the $40 to $50 range, this looks like a decent peripheral for mobile devices with integrated Bluetooth.

Celio REDFLY available for pre-order

If our video review of the Celio REDFLY mobile companion got your wallet all itchy, you can pull the trigger on a pre-order now. The cost is still the same $499 that we were told and the pre-orders are geared towards the target audience, which are enterprise users. Celio will contact you after you submit your pre-order, so they can verify the intended sale and go over the list of supported Windows Mobile phones. Again, this is more of an enterprise device, but that didn't stop Matt Miller from a pre-order. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this purchase decision from Matt in our next podcast.

Geek Gathering in Houston tomorrow night

The cool guys from the Technology Bytes radio show are hosting their monthly Geek Gathering tomorrow night and if you're in Houston you should drop by.  There will be cool gadgets to look at for sure, I even heard there will be a ModBook present.  The gathering is being held at The Petrol Station in the Heights and full details can be found here.  It should start after 7:30 and go for a few hours and I hope to be there so who knows, maybe I'll see you there.  :)

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.

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.

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.

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)

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)

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)

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)

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!

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...

Earth Day tech: solar-powered attic fan

Back in 2005, we turned in our gas-guzzling truck and took stock of a 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. We increased our gas mileage from 13 to 30 mpg as a result. Sure we could have gone with a vehicle that gave us even more fuel efficiency, but in our neck of the woods, we need a vehicle with AWD, if not 4WD, so this was the best "earth-friendly" choice we could make.

Today I grabbed something else along these lines, just to do my little part for Earth Day. I've been waiting to see a solar-powered attic fan readily available and now I've found one. This nearly-silent unit set me back $180 and will get installed later this week. It only pushes 500 CFM, which is much less air movement than an electric powered unit, but since we don't have an attic fan at all right now, it's better than the current situation. This fan will run automatically whenever the sun hits the 10W panel; no thermostat or switch. That works out well, since the attic is heating up the most when the sun is shining. Hopefully, the unit will save me electricity in the long run. Not because the unit uses no electricity, but because I expect the air conditioning to run less in the summer due to lower heat in the attic. Here's hoping!

When tech sleeps

All five laptops are snug asleep, resting for a new day:

Pay with a credit card using a Bluetooth phone

We're getting closer to a cashless society which doesn't bother me one bit. I don't like to jingle when I walk, plus I'm usually "cashless" anyway; spending too much on devices I suppose. Sprint customers who want to drop the coin will want to check out software that lets you pay with a credit card by using your phone. The application comes from Aircharge and once installed on your compatible phone, it sends your credit card information over Bluetooth. Clearly, a vendor will need equipment to receive the data over Bluetooth for payment and there's always the security aspect of having your information sent through the air.

For now, Sprint is only offering the software as over-the-air download on certain handsets made by Motorola and Sanyo, but I expect the number of supported phones will grow. Nosing around the Aircharge site shows they have software that works with various phone and platforms, even J2ME. How about it: do you feel safe enough to use your phone for payment or are you content to jingle-jangle with change?

(via I4U)

Remote Desktop Connection updated: connect to a PC through your Mac

Microsoft updated their Remote Desktop Connection for Mac last week and I'm just getting started with it. I've previously used RDP to view and control my MacBook Pro with my Asus Eee PC, but I want to kick the tires of using the Mac to connect to my new UMPC. The one obvious disadvantage of using RDP between any two systems of course, is that both have to be powered on. If you leave a desktop or notebook running while at home however, this could be another free alternative for remote access.

Once I get everything set up and working here at the home office, I'll look into true remote access while on the road between the two devices. For Mac to Mac connections, the "Back to my Mac" feature works well, but it's mainly an RDP client with a nice face. Quick note: on my Q1UP running Vista Ultimate, I had to enable the Remote Desktop access. The below screenshot illustrates it. By the way: that shot is from my Mac. ;)

(via MacUser)

Save YouTube videos in MP4 format

We do a lot of YouTube video reviews here on jkOnTheRun and a lot of times we hear from those who want to view them in higher quality format than the normal YouTube FLV format.  YouTube has recently put an option for those who want to view a higher quality format form within the video YouTube page but there is a way to save the video in MP4 format directly from the YouTube page using a simple bookmarklet or GreaseMonkey script.  I've tested it on one of our videos and it works great.  The simplest way is to add this GreaseMonkey script to Firefox but for full details and other methods check out the original tip.

(Google OS via Mike Cane)

Digital luggage scale can take a load off your mind

Summer is approaching my neck of the woods, so plans for vacation travel will soon be underway. One thing I've noticed lately is that airlines are getting more particular about their luggage rules and fees. Some carriers are limiting you to a single checked bag; additional luggage will cost you. And don't even think about going over the bag-weight limit or you'll pay a hefty premium.

I'm a pretty light traveller, but for those that need to keep an eye on their bag weight will appreciate this digital luggage scale. For under $25, this small unit clips on to the handle of bag. Just lift and hold until you hear a beep and you'll get a digital readout of the bag weight. It requires 3 AAA batteries and can handle a bag up to 100 pounds, which is likely more than I can lift. Heck, if I was around 20-odd pounds lighter, I could hang this on a hook, attach it to my belt and weigh myself with it!

StyleTap beta opens: run Palm OS apps on Symbian S60 devices

Don't throw away those license keys for any Palm OS apps you own just yet. StyleTap, which is a Palm OS emulator, is heading for Symbian S60 devices. The app has been available on the Windows Mobile platform for some time, is giving new life to the thousands of titles originally designed for the venerable Palm OS environment. We've already seen some screenshots of StyleTap on an iPhone but the Apple SDK introduced some "legal roadblocks", so we'll have to see how that shakes out..

S60 support was announced last year, and the beta for StyleTap starts on May 12th, so if you want in, you'll have to shoot an e-mail and ask nicely. There's a specific format for the e-mail so check all of the details on the StyleTap blog.

(via Brighthand)

Catch "Amen Corner" on the run with a PC or Mac

One of my favorite golf tourneys started today. The 2008 Masters from Augusta National teed off this morning, which is coincidental since I mangled played my first round of golf this season just yesterday. [Don't worry Tiger, you've nothing to fear from my swing!]

You can catch live action right from your PC or Mac today through Sunday: the official website has live video streaming from Amen Corner and the 15th & raucous 16th holes. You'll need WiFi or a good 3G signal for the coverage as they recommend 800 kbps down or better. Coverage should start shortly because the first players are making the turn to Amen Corner as I write this. I prefer watching the coverage in 1080i high-def because the foliage and scenery are amazing this time of year in Augusta. A 960 x 540 live feed on the go isn't that bad though...

"Ace of Penguins" games ported to iLiad eBook reader

What's an iLiad owner to do when they just don't feel like reading eBook content? Play some games! Over at MobileRead, a forum member ported the "Ace of Penguins" game pack over to the standalone reading device and they don't look half bad. The game list includes Freecell, Golf, Mastermind, Merlin, Minesweeper, Pegged, Solitaire, Taipei, and Thornq. While none of the titles on the iLiad will cause you to drop your PSP or DS, there's always time for Solitaire, no?

On a related note, I've had James's Kindle on loan for a few weeks. I'm slowly getting used to the page refresh of eInk but definitely see room for improvement on the user experience of the device. Why not some preferences to turn off one of the two "Next Page" buttons, for example? Making them user configurable shouldn't be too difficult and would easily go a long way in preventing accidental page turns.

TwitterLocal enables hometown geek speed dating

I just caught news of TwitterLocal and the first thing that came to mind is: wow, what a great way for geek singles to speed date in 140 characters or less! OK, it's probably much more useful than that. The service is available on the web or in an Adobe AIR client and shows you all local tweets in a radius that you specify. Since I live in the sticks between Philadelphia and Allentown, I didn't expect to see much action other than the occasional "Moo!" (the cows are everywhere and will take over the township someday), but there was quite a bit of local chatter going on within 10 miles of my home. I'm still searching for a practical use since I don't need a 140-character introduction service, but it's pretty interesting to watch. Could be practical if you're traveling and need a information from a local. I just might add the RSS feed of my local Twitter stream... gotta keep an eye on those cows... they're always plotting.

(via Mashable)

How to save $100 or more on a Vista license

I can't confirm this money-saving method because I have a full Vista license already, but Computerworld mentions a way for Windows 2000 and XP users to get Vista with SP1 at up to $110 less than buying a Vista license alone. Apprently, if you purchase a Vista SP1 upgrade DVD and use it on a computer that's already running a licensed older version of Windows, you can wipe your OS to install Vista without a product key. That makes sense because Vista will run for up to 30 days without a key. Then, using the same DVD, you should be able to install SP1 and enter the product key from the installation DVD. This allegedly by-passes the original Vista purchase to a degree since the SP1 upgrade DVD costs less than a Vista DVD. Again, I can't confirm personally, but it makes sense to me. Even more interesting: Scott Dunn indicates that you don't even need a prior version of Windows on the hard drive for this to work. You can perform the install / upgrade on a clean drive.

Is it bad to lust over Sony's new 1080i handheld video camera?

I just can't help myself because I want to get my mitts on Sony's new HandyCam HDR-TG1. Maybe it's the past seven-years of HDTV-watching that has warped my brain, but I'm ready to start saving up my pennies for this $900 model that is available to pre-order tomorrow. Hmm... what would that do for our video reviews I wonder?

The TG1 will record nearly two-hours of 1920x1080 interlaced video on a 16GB PRO Duo Mark2 memory card and there's an 4GB card to get you started. Amazingly, this baby is only 10-ounces in weight and just 1.3 x 4.7 x 2.5 inches in size, easily small enough to take along everywhere. In fact, I couldn't get my "mitts" on this even if I wanted to... it's clearly a one-handed device. It also packs touchscreen controls, a Carl Zeiss 10x optical zoom and support for Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Looks like this will be the TG3 in Europe and should appear there in May.

AT&T starts pro-rating Early Termination Fees next month

Good times for new AT&T customers: starting on May 25th, the carrier will begin to prorate ETF, or Early Termination Fees by $5 each month of the contract. The deal is for folks with new or renewal plans, so if you've just started a contract, you'll have to deal with cellular servitude for a bit yet, or pay the $175 flat fee to take your business elsewhere.

It's a fine line between having the freedom to leave your carrier without financial penalty or to have said carrier subsidize your equipment here in the U.S. I'm betting that there's a few opinions on this topic, so have at it in the comments. Which do you prefer: subsidized equipment or ETFs? Or is this pro-rated method a nice "middle-ground" even though the carrier still comes out ahead ($5 x 24 months = $120 vs. the $175 ETF)?

HP announces Elite Auto Focus Webcam

HP today has released the Elite Auto Focus Webcam, a USB cam that sports a 3 MP lens.  The Elite Webcam can achieve up to 12 MP with software interpolation and will either clip to monitors or sit on a table with the included stand.  The HP Elite Webcam is very small and will offer up HD quality video conferences which is pretty cool.  It also has a stereo microphone integrated into the cam to provide good audio quality and face tracking ability to go along with the auto focus. The Elite web cam has the following specs:

•3-Megapixel CMOS sensor with autofocus
•USB 2.0 high-speed certified
•Live video: 640 x 480 (VGA) up to 30fps, 800 x 600 up to 20fps,
1280 x 960 up to 8-9fps, 1600 x 1200 up to 5-6fps
•Still picture: up to 12 Megapixels (4096x3072 pixels) by software
interpolation
•UVC (Universal Video Class)
•Face-tracking
•Effective focal range: 4 inches to infinity
•Frame rate: Up to 30 frames per second
•Tilt and Pan: Tilt (55°, up to 20° down and 35° up) / Pan (320°, up to
160° left, up to 160° right)
•Integrated stereo microphone
•5X Digital Zoom
•3 buttons on the top: HP Instant Video, HP instant Image Capture and
HP Instant Chat button
•Privacy cover
•Front LED (on/off)
•Cable length: 3.28 feet (1 meter)
•Software: ArcSoft VideoImpression, ArcSoft Magic-i, ArcSoft WebCam
Companion and HP Photosmart Essential

Best product video demo ever- SugarSync

Kevin recently told us about SugarSync, a unique and full-featured way to keep files synchronized across multiple devices.  I had some free time last night so I decided to check it out and found it to be pretty cool and I am going to give it a try.  While traipsing around the product web site I ran across this video which is the best product demo I have ever seen.  They show the program actually syncing files and photos in real time by putting two devices in the screen recording at the same time.  They show SugarSync doing its magic on Windows PCs, Macs and cell phones in the same window which is totally cool and very effective at showing off the power of instant synchronization.  Very good job SugarSync folks!

Evernote beta invites at GottaBeMobile

You'll want to hurry up and hit this GBM post if you want one of 100 Evernote beta invites. James and I have been very impressed by our own first looks of this beta, which brings "the cloud" and a Mac client into the picture. Run, don't walk! But no pushing and shoving, please...

Auto-hide Firefox status bar extension data

I almost passed up this handy little trick from the How-To Geek until I realized how useful it could be on a smaller screened device. Using the Stylish extension for Firefox and an Auto-Hide script, you can keep a clean appearance in your browser's status bar, but see data from other extensions when you need to. After installing Stylish and the script, you'll see the standard status bar info in your browser during normal use. Hovering your cursor over the status bar un-hides any data from other extensions that reside there. Of course, we touchscreen device owners can't just hover, so you'll need to tap the status bar for the same effect. Once your cursor leaves the area, all data from your extensions is promptly hidden.

Here's a sample of everything hidden:

And here's a shot when you hover on the status bar:

It doesn't get smaller-screened device users any more real estate, but it helps make good use of what you have and keeps things tidy.

Meet the notebooks of 2015

Computerworld has an interesting feature on notebooks of the near-future. 2015 specifically, which is just 21 scant years before Zefram Cochrane will be born so no: you won't see any notebooks capable of warp drive yet. The article shows some concept designs, some of which we've seen before, but others we haven't. Features like 2 TB of internal storage and the first OLED displays abound in the article. While it's unlikely that we'll see these exact products on store shelves, many of the concepts of today do become components or features tomorrow. I particularly like the concept solar notebook shown. We can't yet easily power a standard laptop with solar power, but the idea of including a solar panel that folds out when needed is appealing. Sadly, nobody thought to make a concept UMPC. I guess they go the way of Star Trek: The Original Series by 2015. ;)

(via MobileRead)

Very cool reader sketch of jkOTR

If you're curious how good a sketch pad a Tablet PC makes check out this very nice sketch done of Kevin and I by fazz33:

Very cool and we thank you!  :)

Slick deal- Hp tx2000z for $934

We're always on the lookout for a good deal to pass on and reader Kelvin Tran told us about a really good deal on the HP tx2000z Tablet PC.  Take a look at the specs:

• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
• AMD Turion(TM) 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology Gold Edition TL-68 (2.4 GHz, 512KB+512KB L2 Cache )
• 12.1" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display(1280 x 800) with Integrated Touch-screen
• 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 6150
• FREE Upgrade to HP Imprint Finish (Echo) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone!!
• 802.11b/g WLAN and Bluetooth
• 160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• FREE Upgrade to LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support!!
• HP USB Digital/Analog TV Tuner
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

According to slickdeals.net here's what you need to do to get this device for $934 with free shipping:

1. Click here, then "Customize and buy"
2. Select the following options:    
   1. Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
   2. AMD Turion(TM) 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology Gold Edition TL-68 (2.4 GHz, 512KB+512KB L2 Cache ) [add $125]
   3. FREE Upgrade to HP Imprint Finish (Echo) + Fingerprint Reader + Webcam + Microphone!!
   4. 802.11b/g WLAN and Bluetooth [add $20]
   5. FREE Upgrade to LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support!!
   6. HP USB Digital/Analog TV Tuner [add $100]
   7. 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery [add $39]
    
3. Checkout, apply coupon NB1567
4. Your total will be $1434 - $500 coupon = $934 with free shipping

For the Battlestar Galactica fans... 10 reasons to watch season 4

I go to bed way too early to catch Letterman here in the States, but I certainly appreciate this recent Top 10 list. It's the Top 10 reasons to watch season 4 of Battlestar Galactica, which starts here on April 4th. Thanks to Scott McNulty for sharing this in Twitter! I highly recommend Scott's video show "Fork You"; fun, creative and informative!

Chumby scores a trey with CBS College Hoops widget

Sounds like madness to me: missing out on the craziness we here call March Madness. It's the end-all, be-all national college basketball tournament and if you've got a Chumby, you can load up a widget to keep track of every team. If you dribble down the baseline to the Chumby site, you can view an interactive Flash demo of the widget, just like it was on your 320 x 240 Chumby. Over its wireless connection Chumby will get info for the CBS College Hoops widget and offer videos, scores and tournament news.

I had first dibs on these little fellas when they came out, but I didn't have the $179.95 at the time. Now, I'm almost wishing I did because this is a great way to follow my favorite team in the jkOTR office pool. Ah... what am I worried about... I've got a 50/50 shot at winning.

Stash some thin goodies in your PC Card slot with a Stash Card

If you're not going to use the PC Card slot in your notebook for a MoGo Mouse or 3G wireless card, you might as well put it use. For $7.95, you can add a Stash Card and... well... stash stuff! Given the thin, constrictive space, I don't recommend putting any teeny-tiny pets in there, but you might throw some memory cards, keys, or an extra sawbuck for emergencies. Actually, from the looks of the Stash Card, I think you can poke some air-holes in the top, so forget what I said about small pets. I'm not responsible for your animals, so you're on your own if you plan to carry an ant farm in your computer.

jkOnTheRun Team coverage of the Celio Redfly begins

Looky who's got a Celio Redfly too:

Team jkOnTheRun coverage of the Celio Redfly begins today.  Stay tuned for a first impressions post from me and lots more information from both Kevin and I, video too.

The Redfly has landed

Intel software stretches WiFi signals 60 miles

With so many local hotspots and my 3G WWAN card, it's become way too easy for me to take connectivity for granted. That's why I was glad to see this morning's interesting news about Intel. By using software to tweak how a WiFi connection works, they've demonstrated their RCP or Rural Connectivity Platform for up-and-coming developing nations.

RCP basically uses standard router hardware, but Intel cut out the acknowledgement data that two of these WiFi nodes would normally use. Instead of wasting time and bandwidth to verify that data was received, which would resend the same data, the software solution sets ups specific times for each mode to transmit and receive. Since the $500 nodes only run on 5- to 6-Watts, Intel believes they run on solar power, which helps overcome another obstacle as well. Due to the solution and the distance involved, there's a compromise on the throughput, but Intel says they can achieve up to 6.5 Mbps with the RCP. Although I'm not sure they'll need more range for WiMax since they can get up to 50 km in a rural area, I wonder if we'll see this type of solution extended to the upcoming wireless service.

A fistful of USB flash drives in a credit-card footprint

Why you'd need to carry six USB flash drives is beyond me, but if you do, this set ought to help. The Ultra Space Station is a card-like carrying case for six 1- or 2-GB USB drives giving you up to 12 GB of removable, portable storage for your wallet.

It's $60 for the 6-GB version or you can opt for a lower cost-per-gig by dropping $90 on the 12 GB unit. Included labels help you keep you from confusing your bits with your bytes. And thanks to the flashy Earth logo on the front, you can tell all your geek friends you've got the whole world in your hands. Well... 12 GB of it, anyway. Hmm... might be nice if they could use a PC Card form factor for this. Would be a handy place to stash the globe, no?

(via OhGizmo!)

Speaking without speech

New Scientist is pointing us to a new technology from Ambient that makes speech without talking a reality.  The Audeo is a band worn around the neck that lets the wearer simply think words and they are converted to real words that can be transmitted or spoken aloud mechanically.  The Audeo can open up great possiblities for those who cannot speak, such as ALS sufferers who can use the Audeo to speak with others either in person or even on phones.  The technology has already been proven to allow the control of motorized wheelchairs by thought and it is expected it will soon surpass the current 150 word vocabulary as the technology is improved.  Talk about a great innovation for those who cannot speak.

Gigabyte M528 jkOnTheRun Edition- coolest UMPC out there

The Gigabyte M528 is a pretty cool UMPC that has appeared at CeBIT in a great video by Chippy and jkkmobile.  It's a pretty full-featured UMPC that fits in your hand as you can see in the video.  Valto over at PimpMyUMPC thought that the Gigabyte could be better and has created what in my opinion is the best UMPC I've seen yet, of course I'm biased.  Would you pay for this?

35 incredible HDR images. Stunning.

This has nothing to do with mobile tech, but these images are too stunning not to share. Earlier this week, Smashing Magazine highlighted 35 HDR images that I can't describe with any words. The HDR or high dynamic range imaging technique uses multiple exposures of an image and combines parts of them to extend the range of what looks to be a single exposure. It produces breathtaking visuals in my opinion and is surely something I'd love to get involved with. Unfortunately, that's going to require a new camera purchase which is out of the question, so for now, l'll just be satisfied with the talent of others. This one to the right is among my favorites in this particular collection.

(via TRFJ)

Update: Wow. Once again, I learn more from the readers than they learn from me. Mel commented that my two-year old Panasonic LUMIX might be capable of taking a burst of pics at a range of exposures and he was right! A quick trial download of a $99 app and 15 minutes later resulted in a lame, but fun, first attempt. Here's the farm out back of my home office.

Add a desk to your treadmill for $19 and burn 600 calories a day

Wow, when I moved my road bike into my home office, I had the best of intentions. Most days however, the only muscles I'm exercising when at home are my friends "gluteus" and "maximus". As in my bum, for those not into Latin (which I took just for fun in college, but that's another story for another day).

So every once in a while my bike makes a handlebar cameo appearance in one of our videos to show off the dust. That's why I was so impressed by Jonathan Fields and his treadmill desk setup. He blogs, writes and remains productive while slowly walking on his treadmill during the day. He says he burns around 600 daily calories with a slow but steady one-mile-an-hour pace, all while writing on his computer. He's used a $19 Target shoe rack along with Apple wireless keyboard and mouse for his desk, making the implementation simple and inexpensive. In his article he has a link to a blog devoted to treadmill desks, so if you want to compute and stay healthy at the same time, this is a great resource. I should also mention that Jonathan had a high paying position but left it in favor of pursuing a self-employment career he fully enjoys. I'm in the midst of the same activities, but it remains to be seen if I'll see the success that Jonathan does. I highly recommend you read his about page for more info; it's definitely inspiring!

(via Steve Rubel's tweet)

Dropbox combines online storage, sharing, synching, and revision histories. Sweet!

XDrive, SkyDrive, Box.net, the recently updated FolderShare, SyncToy. Combine 'em all and what do you get? A bunch of storage and synchronization tools. Add another one to the growing list: Dropbox. I just read about it over at GigaOm and it sounds like it takes the best attributes from many of these tools, combines them into one single product and even adds new useful features. It likely won't be free once it comes out of beta, but if it works well, I don't think folks will mind paying for storage.

Like FolderShare, Dropbox works on both Windows and Mac platforms, which is a huge plus over other platform-specific solutions. The application integrates with Explorer / Finder, so there's no application switching to waste your time. Two key features: revision histories and backups of your files are kept in case you wipe something out locally and you can share files through a web URL with your friends. It's like adding TimeMachine or Shadow Copy to an online storage and file synchronization tool. Check it in this screencast and see if this sounds like it's going to be useful to mobile device owners. I think so and I just signed up for a beta invite.

Belkin mini surge protector offers two USB ports

I'm sitting here in my p.j.'s with coffee and see no less than five USB chargers taking up precious space in my home office. OK, that's probably "TMI" or too much information, so ignore the secret bit about the coffee. Seriously, why are there not more electrical charging products that include USB ports like this $25 surge protector from Belkin? Between phones, GPS devices and practically every Apple handheld product, I think the market is ready for USB ports. I know I am... and as an added bonus, you now know why I don't do videos in the morning.

Windows Live FolderShare beta gets refreshed

One of the most useful tools for owners of multiple mobile devices is the free Windows Live FolderShare. A good thing gets better today since FolderShare gets an update that promises:

• A new website designed to makes managing your FolderShare libraries and computers even easier.
• A new FolderShare with a better setup, a better system tray menu, and better performance on Windows Vista.
• Improvements on the backend to keep FolderShare running more smoothly and reliably.

FolderShare is great way to keep files and folders in sync between computers... even a Mac and PC. Yup, you can download FolderShare for either OS right here and start keeping files in sync today. I keep most of my data in the cloud, but once my Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium arrives, I'll be testing out some file synching between it and my MacBook Pro.