Microsoft launches the stylish, affordable Windows Laser Desktop 7000

Microsoft has announced its latest gadget that will complement consumers digital lifestyle today- the Windows Laser Desktop 7000. Designed to complement Windows Vista with its sleek design, the Desktop 7000 is composed of a wireless keyboard and mouse.

The Desktop 7000 wireless keyboard is an epitome of a modern design common among gadgets today. With an ultrathin comfort curve and rechargeable mouse, the Desktop 7000’s wireless keyboard delivers ultimate performance and comfort to consumers. The keyboard’s Windows-inspired translucent design is a pleasure to behold even if you are just looking at its digital picture. It also has floating Hot Keys that provide instant access to Windows ID making it a perfect companion to a Windows Vista-based PC.

In fact, Microsoft’s group marketing manager Carla Forester said that the Desktop 7000’s keyboard is an answer to Microsoft’s objective of connecting its hardware to the Vista software.

“The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 truly brings the best of both worlds together — a beautiful design and a full suite of productivity features — making it the best option for customers desiring a sophisticated accessory for their computer,” said Forrester.

Complementing the Desktop 7000 wireless keyboard is the wireless laser mouse 7000. The laser mouse has a horizontal charging station that provides a sturdy. The charging station has a battery status indicator that reminds users when the mouse needs to be charge.

The Wireless Desktop 7000 will be released by April 2008 and has an expected retail of $129.95. Amazon is currently accepting pre-orders which will be delivered in April.

Via- [http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/microsoft-launches-the-stylish-affordable-windows-laser-desktop-7000/]

Epson RX595 printer: Reviews

Epson’s RX 595 all in one printer has it all. It prints, it scans, and can even read memory cards and print directly to CDs.

After opening the box, I quickly set up the printer and scrounged around for a USB A male to USB B male cable (which, unfortunately, was not included with the printer) and popped in the software CD. I was a bit disappointed that my MacBook could not automatically detect and use the printer, but installing the software was for the best. Though this is probably not a universal problem, the unit I received had a problem during its initial setup with paper jams. However, after a few aggravating minutes, the jams stopped and printing was smooth as could be.
Printing

I began to put the device through many printing tests. After a numerous amount of 4x6 prints, both in black and white and color, the ink levels were still nearly full, and remain as such today; 2 weeks after I began to use this device. As for the prints themselves, the color is picture perfect (pun intended if you are so inclined :-), except the tones are a tad dark for my liking. For any size paper, the printing of photos is very good, though the printing time for photos is around a minute each, which is a little too long for my liking.
Scanning

Scanning is not anything special on the RX 595, as the all in one is easily no match for flatbed scanners, which serve that singular purpose. However, using the bundled Epson Scan software, the device falls nothing short of a serviceable scanner for digitizing whatever you have that needs to be digitized. Quality wise, the scanner is spot on, no matter how dense in color or texture the scanned item is.
Design

As far as all-in-one’s go, the RX 595 is on par for the course, in terms of design at least. The device has a black finish, both matte and glossy, all around, giving it an undeniable vibe of sophistication. The RX 595 is just as wide as normal printers, but a little taller and deeper, and much heavier. The menus are split up into three major areas; copy, memory card, and specialty print. These three can be accessed from dedicated buttons on the device’s face, but you can print no matter what position in the menu hierarchy you are in. Using the arrow and menu buttons provided, you can easily select the paper size, paper finish, and much more. All the vital information, and more, is displayed on the device’s 2.5-inch screen, which is gorgeous for viewing images from a memory card.
Overall

The Epson RX595 is a wondrous purchase, and for only around $100, you are certainly getting your money’s worth. It uses 6 individual ink cartridges, which altogether, will probably run you around 70 dollars, but they do last quite awhile. The included software is perfect, and the print quality is pretty good for the price value of the device. The few gripes I have are the fact that paper jams did seem to occur a lot on my device, and the print times are less than stellar.

Overall, I do recommend the RX 595 for anyone who needs a solution for their printing, copying and scanning needs.

Via- [http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/gadgetell-review-epson-rx595-printer/]

MSI Motherboard Fan- Powered Without Electricity

MSI has developed a working concept design that utilizes Stirling Engine Theory to power a motherboard fan. Instead of conventional electricity, the fan will harvest heat emanating from the processor to function.

Interestingly enough, during a recent visit to their HQ in Taiwan, MSI told TweakTown that they "would probably end up adding the world's first powerless air cooler to an Nvidia motherboard." Nvidia?

Via- [http://gizmodo.com/362646/msi-motherboard-fan-powered-without-electricity]

Gadgets tips- Customize Login Screen with LogonStudio

For Windows only: Freeware application LogonStudio brings full login screen customization to your Windows XP or Vista PC.

Before this as we showed Mac users how they can match their desktop and login images, so if you were a Windows user looking for similar functionality, LogonStudio can do that for you and so much more. The app comes with several built-in login screens and images, but you can customize practically ever section of your login screen to your heart's content. LogonStudio is freeware and for Windows only.

Via- [Lifehacker]

Killdeadpixel- Fix Stuck Pixels on Your Monitor

Fix stuck pixels on your LCD monitor with web site Killdeadpixel. Like previously mentioned JScreenFix, Killdeadpixel unsticks pixels by displaying a quickly changing, high-contrast graphic over the pixel—but Killdeadpixel does it with a neat little draggable graphic, so you can just place the unobtrusive graphic over your stuck pixel and let it do its work.

Despite the site's name (which is a misnomer), a stuck pixel is normally stuck showing red, green, blue, or a combination of those colors, and that is what this site can help with. A dead pixel, on the other hand, will display only black. Luckily dead pixels can be fixed with another method.

Source- http://lifehacker.com/357117/fix-stuck-pixels-on-your-monitor-with-killdeadpixel

Customize Your Mac's Logon Screen

Reader Ace writes in with a nifty customization that will set your Mac apart from the rest. Find a desktop wallpaper image (Social Wallpapering's a good bet), save it to your desktop as background.jpg, and in the Terminal type:

sudo cp background.jpg /System/Library/CoreServices/DefaultDesktop.jpg

You'll have to enter your password to complete the operation, and when you do, next time you log off, your logon screen will have your new custom background.

Source- http://lifehacker.com/355609/customize-your-macs-logon-screen

Microsoft VP: "I personally got burnt" by Vista Capable stickers

Those "Vista Capable" stickers certainly caused consumers a lot of confusion, and it looks like they even tripped up some senior Microsoft execs. According to internal MS emails introduced as evidence in the ongoing lawsuit over the program, several MS managers expressed concern that they were misleading people, with the VP of Windows product management saying "I PERSONALLY got burnt... I now have a $2,100 email machine" and Jim Allchin saying MS had "really botched" the program, and that it "had to do a better job with our customers." Of course, the main reason for all the confusion is the multiple editions of Vista that run with different capabilities depending on your hardware, but that's a subtle point to make with a sticker -- or, as one Microsoft employee admitted in an email, "Even a piece of junk will qualify" as Vista Capable. That's some pretty damning stuff, but the case isn't anywhere near resolution yet -- the judge has yet to decide whether to certify it as a class action, which looks like it'll depend on a technical reading of what exactly Microsoft was advertising throughout the Vista Capable program.

We'll know in 10 days, when the judge has said she'll issue a ruling -- we'd imagine the plaintiffs' legal team has plenty more of these emails in store if the case goes through.

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/12/microsoft-vp-i-personally-got-burnt-by-vista-capable-stickers/

MacBook Air processor situation gets explained

We already knew the basic details about the processor at the heart of Apple's MacBook Air, but those itching to know exactly how Apple and Intel managed to cram everything into that oh so small package may want to head over to AnandTech, which has pieced together a fairly thorough report on the matter. As the site reports, the processor is based on Intel's 65nm Merom architecture and packs an 800MHz bus, yet it uses the significantly smaller chip package that Intel had originally only planned to debut with the launch of its Montevina laptop platform later this year. That combination, along with the Intel 965GMS chipset with integrated graphics, allowed for a 60% reduction in total footprint size, and a TDP rating of just 20W, as opposed to 35W from the regular Core 2 Duo processor.

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/18/macbook-air-processor-situation-gets-explained/

NewerTech intros USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter

Sure, we've seen similar adapters in the past, but NewerTech's latest is quite a few rungs higher on the attractive scale than its most formidable rivals. The inelegantly named USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter allows users to easily connect any 2.5-, 3.5- or 5.25-inch HDD / optical drive to a computer via USB, enabling folks to transfer critical data or backup an internal drive altogether without having to hunt down some snazzy external chassis. Notably, the adapter plays nice with IDE, ATA and SATA (among others), has no qualms dealing with OS X / Linux and will set you back just $29.95.

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/14/newertech-intros-usb-2-0-universal-drive-adapter/

ATI R680 Graphics Card Is 1000X Faster Than a Cray-1 Supercomputer

Just got a nice look at the R680, the upcoming enthusiast graphics card from ATI that is, apparently, as fast as 1000 Cray-1s. We're not allowed to say exactly how fast that is, but maybe you want to hazard a guess. The details are all hush-hush but assume that what people have already written is more or less true, and this bad boy will be hitting store shelves pretty soon.

Source- http://gizmodo.com/342366/ati-r680-graphics-card-is-1000x-faster-than-a-cray+1-supercomputer

The Cobra Commander USB drive

How do you make a Cobra Commander USB thumb drive? Joe Michaels walks you through the process, which includes things like Dremels, two-part epoxy, x-acto knives, J-B Weld, and of course a USB stick and a Cobra Commander figurine.

Make your own comments..

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/08/the-cobra-commander-usb-drive/

New Apple Mac Pro

Last year CES and Macworld coincided, leading to one of the craziest weeks in consumer electronics history.

Well it seems like Apple didn’t want to wait an entire week to get the press buzzing about them. Just this morning (on day two of CES and one week before Macworld), Jobs and team released a brand new Mac Pro for $20,000.

Source- http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/new-apple-mac-pro/

Bill Gates' Last Day at Microsoft- CES 2008 Feature

Aside from just relaxing, Bill Gates has a lot planned for his life after Microsoft, including getting in shape, spitting rhymes with Jay-Z, and more.

Source- http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/ces-2008-feature-bill-gates-last-day-at-microsoft-video-

Lenovo launches IdeaPad- Laptop and desktop lines

Lenovo's Think brand (ThinkPad, ThinkStation) has gotten the company far, but it was clear those boring numbers (3000, 2000) just weren't cutting the mustard. Say hello to Lenovo's new global portable and desktop computing brands: IdeaPad and IdeaStation, respectively. While details on the IdeaStation desktop lineup are still pretty sparse, the laptop lineup has three machines running the gamut of sizes -- the Y710 (17-inch gaming rig), Y510 (15-inch workhorse), and U110 (11-inch ultraportable) -- all featuring VeriFace (facial recognition software), media keys, textured lids, and flush bezels, and available in April. Too bad none have WWAN -- that really would have made our day. Check out the specs:

Y710

* 17-inch WXGA (1440 x 900) CCFL VibrantView display
* Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 (2.5GHz)
* ATI Mobility Radeon HD2600, 256MB
* Up to 4GB RAM, up to 500GB in drives
* Game Zone keyboard lighting, and auxiliary display with resource usage and performance controls
* Blu-ray reader with dual-layer CD / DVD burner
* 802.11a/b/g/n (but no Bluetooth, apparently)
* HDMI, VGA, S-Vodeo
* (4) USB 2.0, ExpressCard, 1394, media reader
* 1.3 megapixel camera
* Dolby Home Theater sound: four speakers + subwoofer
* 15.6 x 11.2 x 1-1.5-inches, 7.9 pounds
* Starts at $1,200.
U110 (the rest of the specs are still pending)

* 11-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) CCFL display
* 0.7-inches thick, 2.3-pounds
Y510

* 15.4-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) CCFL VibrantView display
* Intel Core 2 Duo T5550 (1.83GHz)
* Intel GMA X3100 graphics (up to 256MB)
* Up to 4GB RAM, up to 250GB drive
* Dual-layer CD / DVD burner
* 802.11a/b/g/n (but no Bluetooth, apparently)
* VGA, S-Vodeo
* (3) USB 2.0, ExpressCard, 1394, media reader
* 1.3 megapixel camera
* Dolby Home Theater sound: four speakers + subwoofer
* 14.3 x 10.2 x 1.1-1.4-inches, 6.4 pounds
* Starts at $800.

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/03/lenovo-launches-ideapad-ideastation-laptop-and-desktop-lines/

USB Credit Card: Making it even easier to spend money

As if we needed another way to make spending money even easier, Shinhan Card has unveiled a new USB Credit Card that will work both in-stores and online. The credit card will be a contactless card in store allowing you to just swipe it over the payment system and for online purchases you can just put the card into the USB drive to have it automatically enter the card details. The new USB card will not be available, at least yet, in the US and sadly the USB credit card is just that, there is not any user storage on the device.

Source- http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/usb-credit-card-making-it-even-easier-to-spend-money/

Windows Home Server bug corrupts files

Looks like we've got a definitive answer to "How would you change Windows Home Server?" -- make it so it doesn't corrupt data.

Microsoft has just posted a Knowledge Base document saying that it's confirmed WHS corrupts various files when saved to the server by certain apps. The bug affects several MS apps, including Money, Outlook 2007, Vista Photo Gallery, Live Photo Gallery, and SyncToy, but it also hits Quicken, Quickbooks, and -- fatally for a media server -- BitTorrent clients. Microsoft says it's working on a fix, but that in the meantime, you should avoid using WHS with these apps.

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/27/windows-home-server-bug-corrupts-files/

Upcoming AMD Radeon HD 3450, 3470 and 3650 low-enders leaked

DisplayPort is the most fun when you snag it on the cheap, and according to some leaked specs over on Madbox PC, AMD has a $50 Radeon in the works that'll have you running that 30-incher off of USB for a pittance.

The Radeon HD 3450 card is based on the RV620 core, running at 525MHz, with 256MB of RAM and just a VGA plug to accompany the DisplayPort. The HD 3470 ($60) hits 600MHz and 512MB of RAM, and does DVI, while the HD 3650 ($100) maxes out the trio at 800MHz, with 512MB of RAM as well and the RV635 core to back it up. You might not be thrashing around in Crysis, but HD video and perhaps some last-gen shooters should be totally within your grasp whenever AMD gets these to market.

Source- http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/26/upcoming-amd-radeon-hd-3450-3470-and-3650-low-enders-leaked/

SmartNav Hands-Free Mouse Controls PC With Your Head

Put the SmartNav hands-free mouse on top of your monitor, stick a tiny little reflective dot on your forehead, and you're ready to do some hands-free mousing around your PC.

Sure, you'll need a foot pedal for the mouse clicking, which presents a problem for those disabled users who might have hoped to use such a device. But wait, there's a version that solves that problem, too. Check out the video to see this contraption in action.

SmartNav is available in three versions, the AT (assistive technology) version which lets you click on an item by dwelling over it, and its software also includes a virtual keyboard. As you can see on the video, this looks like it might be quite tedious for typing. The EG version has a foot switch, and is aimed at wrist strain sufferers, while the standard version is for those who want to increase their productivity and speed. Now if they can just bring the price down from $298.95.

Source- http://gizmodo.com/337698/smartnav-hands+free-mouse-controls-pc-with-your-head

HP, Acer Beat Up on Dell in PC Sales

Hewlett-Packard grew its lead, while Acer snagged second place in laptops in the third quarter.

Hewlett-Packard expanded its PC market share lead over Dell, and Acer snatched the number two ranking in laptops away from its beleaguered rival during the third quarter, market researcher iSuppli said last week.

HP's market share rose to 19.2% as it widened its lead over second place Dell, which held a 14.6% share, iSuppli reported in preliminary figures. It's a remarkable difference from the same time last year, when HP first captured the top spot from Dell with a 16.5% market share, versus 16.3%.

Dell has suffered from a host of troubles over the past two years, including financial restatements and leadership changes. But its main problem has been a failure to grow as fast as rivals despite strong global PC market growth. The company's quarterly earnings conference last week highlighted this issue. Despite strong revenue growth, rising costs cut into profits and the company warned that future earnings could be hurt by cautious PC buying among financial customers.

Dell's stock fell 9.9%, or US$2.78 to $25.36 in after-market stock trading Thursday after the report.

Rivals have taken advantage of its troubles.

HP has surged under new leadership from CEO Mark Hurd. The company's third quarter PC shipments grew 32.7% compared to last year to 13.1 million units, iSuppli said. Dell's increased just 1.5% to 9.9 million.

Acer added to Dell's woes in the quarter, snatching away the second place global ranking in laptop PCs on strong shipment growth. The Taiwanese company gauged the strongest growth among all top PC vendors in the third quarter, up 68.8% year-on-year, mainly due to strong notebook PC sales.

The market for notebook PCs is growing far faster than desktops, and offers far better profit margins for companies. Laptop shipments grew 33.5% year-over-year in the third quarter, while desktop PC shipments grew just 3.4%, iSuppli said.

Acer captured a 7.9% share of the global PC market in the third quarter, but the results did not include Gateway, which Acer recently obtained. Gateway figures will be included in fourth-quarter figures, iSuppli said. The addition of the U.S. Company’s sales will narrow the gap between Acer and Dell in global rankings.

Notebook shipments should continue to boost Acer. Goldman Sachs Wednesday revised its target for global laptop shipments up to 11% quarter-on-quarter growth in the fourth quarter, compared to a previous forecast of 9%. The investment banking firm also sees the potential for the best laptop shipment performance in six-years in the first quarter of next year.

iSuppli predicts worldwide PC shipments will grow 12% year-over-year in 2007.

The global PC market grew 13.8% year-on-year in the third quarter as companies shipped 68.1 million PCs, iSuppli said. Chinese PC vendor Lenovo retained its third place global ranking in the PC market in the third quarter with an 8.1% share, while Acer took fourth and Toshiba placed fifth at 4.3%.

Source- http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140188-c,researchreports/article.html