- Truc Bui

It was only a matter of time before someone started making external storage solutions using solid state drives. Buffalo just announced their SSD MicroStation line with capacities of 32GB, 64GB, and 100GB. They're not the speediest backup solutions with transfer speeds of up to 35MB/s, but the promised lower power consumption and durability of a solid state drive might make this a viable alternative to traditional HDDs. Like other Buffalo external hard drives, the new MicroStation will include built-in security and backup utilities. As of now, this hybrid MLC/SLC SSD drive is available in Europe only and pricing information has not been released, but seeing how cost-prohibitive internal SSDs still are I have a feeling they're going to cost a pretty penny. Hopefully, Buffalo will bring this new drive stateside.

Via iTech News Net

- Warner Crocker

Yesterday, Loren Heiny responded to a post by Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky about customizing Windows and the many responses that they have received from users, some of whom think that allowing users to turn features on or off based on how they plan to use their computers. In the post he listed the Tablet PC bits as an example that could be turned off.

Some examples are quite easy to see and you should expect us to do more along these lines, such as the TabletPC components.  I have a PC that is a very small laptop and while it has full tablet functionality it isn’t the best size for doing good ink work for me (I prefer a 12.1” or greater and this PC is a 10” screen).  The tablet code does have a footprint in memory and on the 1GB machine if I go and remove the tablet components the machine does perform better.  This is something I can do today.  Folks have asked about Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Windows Mail, Windows Calendar…this is good feedback and good things for us to consider for Windows 7. 

Loren’s response was similar to mine:

Yes, he’s saying that even on a Tablet PC, the Tablet bits don’t have enough value for him.

Loren took Steven to task for his comments on screen size and Inking as well, recalling the Tableteers lament for the HP tc1100, which by most accounts was a great, if not the great Tablet PC at a 10inch screen size.

Sinofsky responded in a comment to Loren’s post saying the following:

I think you read more than I wrote " src="http://www.lorenheiny.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" />

I just said that for me, a 10 inch Prime screen is too small for inking. Maybe I just write too big. When I use ink I mostly use OneNote and I just find that a 10 inch Prime screen at 1280×768 is not enough information density.

That’s all

Maybe, maybe not. Here’s my issue. Sinofsky has clamped down on communication about Windows 7 and now is using the blog, Engineering Windows 7, to talk about the process behind assembling the next version. I applaud the effort to talk about what’s happening behind the scenes. That said, I don’t think Sinofsky is as naive about the impact of what he writes in that blog as he appears to be about Tablet PCs. Maybe I should say I hope he isn’t. When you control information the way Microsoft now is doing, and talk about that control, what you choose to share has powerful meaning, even if used as “an example.” The same is true with what you choose not to share. This community has been on pins and needles about the future of Tablet PC computing for some time now in the wake of Microsoft’s poor marketing and implementation of what Tablet PCs can and do offer. That only increased when the Tablet PC’s biggest advocate, Bill Gates, retired from the day to day.

That point is driven home to me by Steven’s comment. He chose to focus on the screen size issue rather than address Loren’s larger issue:

The performance fix for the Tablet bits is not to remove them. It’s to address the lower level implementation details. I wish he was signaling that that’s on the Windows 7 to do list.

So do I, Loren. So do I.

So, Steven, you’ve opened the door for dialogue now with the Tablet PC community, and at the risk of making you feel like you need to say even less about Windows 7 in the future, what you wrote “too big” in this instance, is an invitation we’d love to take you up on. Let’s talk about the future of Tablet PC computing. I think you’ll be surprised by what you hear.

- Warner Crocker

Here’s a quick shot someone took of me going over notes on my Tablet PC just 40 minutes before our first preview performance of Unnecessary Farce begins this afternoon. They through it on the network and I got it from there. I love taking notes in rehearsals and preview performances on a Tablet PC. Should be a fun afternoon for some wacky comedy despite the serious expression on my face, but the comedy is hard. Posting this now so we can let the audience into the theatre.

 

- Warner Crocker

Whether it was a wave of nostalgia or whether it was just interest in following another new Netbook on the market, the UMMD 8010/F Netbook from Commodore sure attracted a lot of interest from folks last week. Eirik Solheim sent along another link with more pictures taken at IFA for those who are interested. And yes, we know, that this is from a company that bought the rights to the Commodore name.

 

- Rob Bushway

I've got ten DropBox private beta invites available to some lucky GottaBeMobile.com readers.

"Drop" a comment to this post, including your name and email address, and I'll pick ten random winners by Sunday evening.

• Works with XP, Vista, OS X, and Linux
• Watch a video demo of Dropbox here.

- Warner Crocker

If you’re interested in possibly getting your hands on a UMPC, then you might want to head over to TodoUMPC.com and post in their forums between now and October 30, 2008. TodoUMPC.com is giving away an Amteck U560 and a Wibrain B1. You can enter the contest in either Spanish or English and of course you’ll be submitting a post talking about UMPCs. Check out the details here.

Via Frank Garcia

- Warner Crocker

One of the things artists who are interested in Tablet PCs are always interested in knowing is the degree of pressure sensitivity on the digitizer. The more degrees of sensitivity the better. Consequently, Tablet PCs without active digitizers aren’t the favorites of artists.

GBM Forum member JasonJ shows that you can do some pretty good work without an active digitizer, using an HP TX1314ca running Vista. He’s using the Open Source program GIMP. Check out the thread here.

- Matthew Dillon

Google has been busy with their new Chrome browser, but they've also released several updates to their Picasa Web Albums and Picasa desktop photo management application.  In an attempt to compete more directly with popular sites like flickr, Google has implemented facial recognition, Creative Commons rights management, and an Explore feature that allows users to view photos from around the world.  The Picasa desktop application, now in beta 3, includes the ability to retouch photos, create collages and slideshows, and upload directly to YouTube.  You can read more about the latest improvements by visiting the What's new page from Google.

The ability to upload and share photos when you're on the road is very important to the mobile user.  I've been drawn to Picasa Web Albums since its creation primarily because it was linked to my Gmail account, I felt like it had less advertising, and it felt more mature and secure.  I like the having the ability to upload my photos and keep them private, only sharing them with a few family members.  Now Google is appealing to the global, social crowd as well.  Although both Picasa and flickr have the ability to keep photos private, they both push the idea of sharing photos with the world.  Even the flickr motto reads, "Share your photos.  Watch the world."  I don't want to world to watch me, but I do like to peruse pictures from around the globe. 

Via ReadWriteWeb.com

- Truc Bui

We've seen capacity LED indicators on notebook batteries, we've seen rudimentary indicators on hard drives, but this is definitely a nice little bonus for users looking at a fast and easy way to check the capacity of their external hard drives. Lenovo released its newest external hard drive concept featuring a touch-sensitive display showing how much space is left on the hard drive. The hard drive's ability of not having to be plugged in to check space is perhaps superfluous and unnecessary, but it's still pretty cool. With a swipe of the finger over the sensor brings the display to life. Maybe they can integrate 128-bit or 256-bit security into the finger swiper similar to a fingerprint scanner so you can access the drive and see the remaining capacity in the near future, which would make this hard drive something to seriously consider. As of now, it's just a cool gimmick that sets this external HD apart from the crowd. What would you want to see integrated into the finger scanner?

 

Via Design Launches

- Warner Crocker

If you live in Texas, as of September 1 of this year a new law is in effect that requires any company selling a computer in the state to offer a free consumer recycling program. Here's a rundown on Texas'  Computer Recycling Program. My state of Virginia has passed a law on this and West Virginia, Oklahoma and Missouri have as well.

Does your state have this kind of legislation in the works?

Via the Direct2Dell Blog

- Matt Faulkner

Looks like Chippy was playing with a new toy yesterday and we missed it!  He received a Everun Note and is already putting it thru it's paces!  HD videos, Unreal Tournament and Skype already with more to come.  From the start of the video, it looks like a nice little unit, for more information check out the full video below or over on UMPC Portal.

- Warner Crocker

Microsoft is busy spending $300 million on a new campaign to roll out, refurbish, re-build, revive, renovate, re-constitute, re-invent, re-whatever its image after ceding the battlefield for far too long and allowing Apple and others to shape the story since the launch of Vista. I hate to say it, but the effort seems not only misguided but doomed to fail. If this was a Broadway show the closing notices would be posted before intermission.

Mary Jo Foley is pointing to Microsoft’s revamped website which is featuring that first new splashy ad featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. As for the ad-what a waste of shoe leather. As for the site? Well, it is pretty. Mary Jo is also letting us know that Microsoft is going to spend some dough hiring and placing 150 or so Microsoft trained “gurus” in Best Buy and Circuit City stores in the roll up to the holiday season.  Think of them as ‘personal shoppers.’ Think of them as quickly being out of work.

- Warner Crocker

No, it isn’t a Tablet PC. The Lenovo ThinkPad X301 is a refresh, and maybe a bit more than a refresh of the Lenovo ThinkPad X300 (Check out Rob’s InkShow of the X300). Every notebook that is released in the ‘thin and light’ category is compared to the MacBook Air these days. The X301 is no different. I’ve never held an Air (can you hold air?) but I’m very impressed with the size and weight of the X300. It is extraordinarily light and thin. With that in mind, it also contains a bay for an optical driver or an extra battery. But more importantly, I’m impressed with the power and the speed of operation. The evaluation unit I’m working with has a Core 2 Duo U9400 running at 1.4GHz It also contains an Intel 64GB SSD and is running with 2GB of RAM. I have to say, this notebook just screams as a performer. I have not yet had a chance to really do any heavy lifting on the device, but if you’re “in the cloud” and need a full notebook, I don’t see how the X301 could let you down. It can be ordered with or without integrated broadband. Of course it isn't all a bed of roses, as you'll see when I try to put the unit to sleep.

I’ll be working with the X301 for the next few weeks and report more as I put it through some paces. In the meantime, enjoy this first look InkShow

Check out the Lenovo ThinkPad X301.

Download the High Res version here. (91.7MB, 12:07 min)

All GBM InkShows and Podcasts are sponsored by TechSmith.

- Warner Crocker

Modding Netbooks is already a trend. It looks like Dell has acknowledged that right up front about its just announced Mini 9 Netbook by putting the servcie manual online for easy access. Netbook modder extraordinaire jkkmobile provides the link and has posted some pictures for all to see. It looks like modding will be relatively easy here.

 

- Warner Crocker

Sony has issued a recall for those owning a notebook in the VAIO TZ series. The issues seems to be with wiring next to the hinge that could lead to a short and/or overheating, which is something you certainly don’t want to happen. Here is the link to what Sony is calling a ‘rework.’ Series model numbers affected inlcude:

• VGN-TZ100 series
• VGN-TZ200 series
• VGN-TZ300 series
• VGN-TZ2000 series

 

 

- Warner Crocker

You've heard how Jerry Seinfeld recently agreed to be a part of a 300 million dollar ad campaign, the biggest in Microsoft history, and now you can see what 300 mill looks like.  This commercial premiered yesterday during the NFL's season opener.  Does it make you want to be a Mac or a PC?

Read more about the Seinfeld commercials at Microsoft PressPass.

- Matthew Dillon

Engadget is reporting that Amazon will help the OLPC folks bring back the Give One, Get One program in November of this year.  The timing is perfect for holiday giving, satisfying your guilty conscience and rewarding you with a fun, new toy.  The Give One, Get One program originally allowed individuals to purchase one OLPC XO machine for themselves at $399 while another unit would be donated to a technologically impoverished child on your behalf.  Engadget is also reporting that the XO will sport dual-boot XP/Sugar OS this time around.  While the OLPC program has great impact on children of developing nations, I still wonder why we are slow to see programs such as this in the US.  My guess is that schools with strong budgets will begin investigating the netbook craze as an avenue to putting technology in students' hands.

Click here learn more about the OLPC project.

Via Engadget

- Warner Crocker

We've posted about the possibility of Dell's new Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook being subsidized by Telcos in the future. It looks like if you live in Europe, you might be first on the list to see for yourself. That won't be until later in September, but according to this article from Crave, Vodafone will partnering with Dell. My hunch is the deal is going to be a bit more complicated here in the US for a variety of reasons, but we'll have to see how this plays out.

What's also interesting about the Crave article is that Dell's John Thode says this:

We didn't build a small PC, we built an ultramobile device." "It does a lot of PC functions, but its intent was not to emulate a PC in every aspect."

I can buy that approach to these machines as a companion device. I'm just wondering if consumers see the difference as the entire Netbook wave moves forward in a market that is filled with both excitement and uncertainity. Managing expectations is a tough thing to do, and in my opinion is going to be even tougher with Netbooks. What are you going to call them, Not-a-Netbook?

- Matt Faulkner

What is going to be released next from Apple a full blown Tablet or just some more touchy features added to the MacBook or MacBook Pro?  In this new news, Apple is using voice, the whole keyboard and a camera to move around OSX.  Pretty cool if you ask me!  Part of this is already around in Vista with the speech features built right in the OS - I can copy and past or navigate where I want with voice commands easily.  But, if you aren't in a quite office and can't use speech, maybe this idea of using a camera would be a good idea.  Hand gestures to control some extra functionality could work out well, but I do see some issues.  What if you are docked or crammed on an airplane?  Would the camera be sensitive enough to work at a greater distance or in a more confined area?  Hit up the USPTO if you want to read about the submission to the patent office by Apple.

- Matt Faulkner

This one is!  Spill what you want on this Silver Seal Flex keyboard and it'll be fine.  After it's all sticky and wet, just throw it in the dishwasher and clean it off.  Best of all - It's one of those 'roll up' kinds of keyboards. So, if taking an external keyboard to plug in to your Tablet PC at the local coffee shop is your thing, there isn't a need to worry about that cup of java spilling on it!  On a similar note - How many of you are amazed at the things that come out of your keyboard when you spray a little compressed air at it??