computing

Will a bigger hard drive and a slightly lower price tag move more UMPCs for Oqo?

Oqo has updated its Vista-powered handheld computer, and knocked 33 percent of the cost, bringing it down to $1,299.

The San Francisco-based company has increased the hard drive capacities of both versions of the model 02. The entry-level went from 30GB to 40GB and the higher-end from 60GB to 80GB. Plus, now there's a 32GB flash-based option. They've also slightly upped the CPU speed to 1.6 Gigahertz.

But it has yet to solved the in-between nature of its concept. It'… Read more

In part one of this two part series, I introduced you to a young fellow named Elliot. Elliot, a blue shirt wearing, black-haired salesman on the ShopNBC channel was in the process of selling an HP notebook, an HP printer and a digital camera. If you're interested in his hilarious, yet amazingly error-prone dissertation on why you should buy this gaggle of goodies for a mere $1000, then head on over to this site. If not, then keep reading.

When I last left you, I promised stories of peer pressure, body building and Vista excitement. Luckily for you, oh faithful reader, I shall not disappoint. But I must warn you: if you have not read part one of this two part saga, please do not read on, for there are spoilers ahead.

As Elliot was describing the HP notebook with that "uncrashable" Windows Vista Business installation, he had an epiphany. Instead of wasting our time with sales pitches that just weren't working, Elliot decided to go back to school. How you ask? Well, instead of talking about the notebook's classroom practicality, Elliot reminded us of days that are best left in the past: bullying.

In Elliot's own words, this HP computer is something that "kids will be proud of." They will no longer need to walk through school telling everyone that they're using a Mac or those incredibly ugly Dells, why no! From now on, 9-year old Johnny can tell 10-year old Billy the Bully that he is proud to own an HP laptop featuring a 15.4-inch widescreen with Vista Business and an Intel Core Duo. Proud!

Elliot, obviously remembering his childhood, left nothing to chance. Instead of wasting time talking about 3D windows, he went to the jugular. He almost lost me before he pulled out his ace in the hole. But as soon as he mentioned peer pressure, I was immediately brought back to D.A.R.E. class with Officer Casey, and I melted all over again. This man, Elliot, had me on the edge of my seat.

But rest assured friends, this was just the tip of the iceberg. Next up, Elliot told us how lightweight this svelte beauty was. Tipping the scales at just under six pounds, this laptop is nothing like the rest of the laptops on the market -- those fifteen pound clunkers! Why, no! Instead of forcing you to use both hands, Elliot showed us all that he could lift this laptop "with what? Three fingers?!" And while this may sound like a simple feat, think again -- Elliot was a small man with some muscle issues, for sure. After all, if he can lift up a notebook with just three fingers, can you imagine what you can do with it? Just think of the possibilities!… Read more

Last night, as I was making my list up for the top 5 best video games of all time, I was flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch. Bored with the choices, I decided to turn on ShopNBC to see what the salespeople had to offer. And while I was prepared for some lines that would make a used car salesman cry, I wasn't prepared for the hilarious onslaught of pure bull.

The show started at 9PM and was replayed at 10PM with some extra anecdotes of information and a few more tidbits of funny and … Read more

How's this for the latest in PC designs? Drums. Yes, like the kind that you bang on, all day if you must, with or without sticks.

When fellow Craver Brian Cooley posted an item months ago about the Spotswood kick-drum computer, we assumed it was just something from one of the obscure sites he surfs, in between 007 blogs and single-malt scotch retailers. As it turns out, he may actually have been on the cutting edge of a new trend, the latest example being the "Shadow" hard drive from Suissa Computers.

Although it's not a full … Read more

Sun Microsystems CTO Greg Papadopoulos suggests that enterprise applications are dividing into Web and data-enabled applications and more traditional enterprise applications. Those that are Web and/or data-enabled are exploding (confirming Tim O'Reilly's theory of where the value is, perhaps). The rest are not.

What does this mean?… Read more

Apparently it's Miniature PC Release Week and nobody told me.

On Monday, Fujitsu officially announced the U810 mini-notebook, and on Tuesday, Stealth Computer released a mini PC that it says will fit into a human palm (well, sort of). Though I'm sure the results will differ for everyone, suffice it to say, this is a wee computer.

It measures just under 3 inches tall, 6 inches wide and 10 inches deep. The Little PC--not the most creative or specific name, but whatever--will have Intel's Pentium and Celeron M series processors, and lots of connectivity options: LAN, serial, … Read more

If you're feeling swamped in unsolicited e-mail, you're not alone. Enterprise security vendor Secure Computing this week reported spam increases 53 percent above July's daily average and 70 percent above June's average. That's not, however, a record. The current level of spam is equivalent to those reported during December 2006.

Reasons for the August bump in spam are varied. One, there's been a resurgence of the Storm worm, which is known to relay spam.

Two, enterprise security companies are seeing a higher level of attachment-based spam. In addition to the usual suspects of PDF … Read more

A U.S. Customs computer systems malfunction stranded more than 20,000 international passengers for several hours at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday.

The system, which contains criminal information used to screen passengers seeking to enter the United States, went down around 2 p.m. PDT and was not replaced until nearly midnight.

''That system allows our officers to make decisions on who we can allow to enter the United States,'' Mike Fleming, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman, told the Associated Press. ''You just don't know by looking at them.''

Homeland Security officials blamed the … Read more

Toy makers have made good progress in robots and pretty much anything with a remote, but they've never quite been able to figure out computers for tots. Usually they're just toy laptops with lame black-and-white screens that are barely legible, making them kind of like fancy Etch A Sketches with some flashing lights and a mouse.

The latest offering from Fisher-Price, the "Easy Link Internet Launch Pad," takes a different approach. Rather than just try to look like a notebook for kids, it's a plug-and-play navigation device that works with any regular computer with a … Read more