SSD drives are said to take over storage solutions in the future, so that begs the question - will hard drives be driven to extinction? Western Digital doesn’t think so as they are busy working on a new 20,000 rpm Raptor hard drive. Other than the rpm value, nothing else is known about this hush-hush project, although some sources from Taiwan have disclosed that it will be a 2.5″ hard drive that comes in a custom-built 3.5″ housing and will run as silent as a nuclear submarine. I jest, but it will probably be much quieter compared to a standard hard drive, losing out only to SSDs and other flash memory.

(Read the full post about ‘Western Digital Working On 20k RPM Drive’…)

What better way to teach kids about renewable energy than to start young with this Valiant Viking Ship Solar Kit. The Valiant Viking Ship uses an alternative energy source, the sun, to power its way through water. The Vikings would have welcomed and appreciated the new and improved method of propulsion. Upon completion of its journey, you can moor the ship to its docking station (included). No batteries required and 33 plastic parts to assemble. Clear easy to follow instructions motivate students to learn about solar energy. A great project for boys or girls, challenges them to be precise with miniature parts. Teaches students to follow visual diagrams. Hours of fun experimenting with solar energy. (Read the full post about ‘Valiant Viking Ship Solar Kit’…)

Toshiba is no stranger to the world of rugged laptops, and have just released a couple more models - the Tecra A10 and M10. Not only do these models help keep things running even in the harshest of conditions, they also boast additional security measures that help prevent data theft even when the laptop itself is stolen. Features on the A10 and M10 include :-

• Intel Centrino 2 processor
• Max. 8GB RAM
• 250GB hard drive
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
• Fingerprint security system
• Toshiba EasyGuard technology

The A10 will come with a 15″ display while the M10 is a wee bit smaller, shaving off an inch. (Read the full post about ‘Toshiba Has New Tough Laptops’…)

The problems just keep on coming - there are people who have reported that after installing iPhone 2.0.2, they now find it even more frustrating when trying to make calls. That’s pretty strange, since this firmware update is meant to improve call connection quality, but I guess there are still many more glitches to be ironed out. If you’re one suffering from such a problem after iphone 2.0.2, there is a quick fix solution. All you need to do is switching to the EDGE network instead if you want to make phone calls, returning to 3G whenever you want to surf.

(Read the full post about ‘iPhone 2.0.2 Dropped Calls’…)

For the geek that has to do presentations, iSpring Free is a neat little tool that converts your PowerPoint presentations into Adobe Flash slideshows. So no more sticking this slides up on the Web, and needing your visitors to download then open up on their computer (and they need to have Powerpoint Viewer at a minimum too).

iSpring runs on Windows supports PowerPoint 2000/XP/2003/2007.

Posted in Miscellaneous

Tags: Hi-fi, digital, cellphone, home cinema

Online retailer Expansys has made a boo-boo - or rather, two of them, by leaking out information of the upcoming blackberry 8220 and 8210 smartphones. Also known as KickStart and SeaWolf respectively, these handsets made a brief appearance on a pre-order page while showing off handset specifications that include the following :-

• 20-key SureType keyboard
• Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity
• 3.5mm headphones jack
• microSD memory card slot

The 8210 will feature GPS navigation but not Wi-Fi, and the 8220 will be a quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) handset. No idea on pricing or availability as at press time, but both ought to be due this year. (Read the full post about ‘BlackBerry 8220 and 8210 Leaked’…)

The Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer Laptop Briefcase isn’t the first checkpoint-friendly laptop case that we’ve covered, and it certainly won’t be the last. As with its other brethren, this laptop briefcase allows you to speed up your check-in process without requiring you to remove your laptop while going through the airport’s security check procedure. Made from 1050 denier ballistic nylon, splash-proof YKK Uretek zippers, Duraflex Stealth buckles, and Poron foam-padded handles, other practical features include :-

• Over 11 organizational pockets
• Back pocket zips open to accommodate the handle of a roll-aboard
• Quick-access boarding pass/map pocket.
• Molded foam laptop compartment
• Requires less than 3 seconds preparation before x-ray procedure

It is now available for pre-order, although you will need to fork out a rather hefty $220 for one. (Read the full post about ‘Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer Laptop Briefcase’…)

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 19th 2008 at 9:22AM Okay, pretend you had absolutely no inclination that this so-called KickStart was real. Surprise! E-tailer expansys has spoiled RIM’s thunder (no silly, not that Thunder) by posting up detailed product pages for both the BlackBerry 8220 (WiFi) and BlackBerry 8210 (GPS). The current specs list points out a 2.6-inch 320 x 240 primary display, 160 x 128 pixel secondary display, 2-megapixel camera (with LED flash), video recording and a microSDHC slot. (Read the full post about ‘BlackBerry 8220 / 8210 KickStart outed, but not by RIM’…)

Pixlr, a program from Sweden that some compare to Photoshop Express, is a web-based photo editing software that really holds it’s weight.  When you click on the Pixlr.com link, you will immediately be brought to the site and invited to “jump right in” and begin using the software. Flash based, it is actually really rather simple to use for anyone even vaguely familiar with photo editing. It has some of the same options that you’ve probably seen if you have worked in PE, though I certainly wouldn’t go so far as to put them in the same class. The windows can be moved anywhere in the open space that you like, and you also have the option of moving the toolbars wherever you are comfortable positioning them (same as Photoshop). (Read the full post about ‘Pixlr is a great free online photo editing program’…)

by Paul Miller, posted Aug 19th 2008 at 12:08PM Yeah, we get it, those arcade glory years were indeed glorious, but we’re a bit past the point of needing a retro cabinet at home large enough to house an entire army of quarter gremlins just to rock a bit of MAME standing up. Retro Space chucks the cabinet chubbiness, keeps all those mashy buttons, robust joysticks and spinny white ball things we know and love, and adds in a full-powered PC and a 24-inch 1920 x 1200 LCD. It’s a tad bit boxy, but we’ll probably manage to overlook that for another decade or two. (Read the full post about ‘Retro Space arcade cabinet dispenses with (most of) the throwback formalities’…)