computer

We've been logging some long work days of late--deadlines, you know--and the experience has given us the opportunity to make a few observations. First, most desks are just no good for geeks. In addition to the normal paper detritus, a mess of peripherals, accessories, and their attendant cords can quickly turn a desk into a disaster zone. Second, when you sit for a long time in the same desk chair, no matter how ergonomic your setup, your hip joints will threaten to fuse together in a permanent L shape.

The Milk Desk, though, looks to solve both those problems … Read more

According to a post on the Bugtraq newsgroup, Apple has a job listing for a security expert.

The winning candidate would "help provide guidance on security topics to all groups across Apple, and help teams design security into new cutting-edge features and technologies," and also "help analyze potential security issues and work with groups across Apple for timely resolution."

Apple has come under increased scrutiny by the criminal hacker communities in the last year, and the was the target of a January's "month of Apple bugs." In 2006, it issued more Mac OS security patches … Read more

We appreciated the "Easy Desk Aluminum" laptop stand because it suited our hopelessly slothful lifestyle, but we're not so sure about the "Ergopod 500" by Office Organix that's featured on Neatorama. It's not that we doubt its usefulness--as the company indicates, the setup can be used by bedridden individuals or others who can't use computers in any other position. What would concern us is the precarious-looking configuration of the equipment, as shown in this accompanying picture with the large monitor hanging over the guy's head. We wouldn't want to be … Read more

I got a chance to play around with OQO's new baby, the Model 02, at last night's SF Tech Sessions meet-up, and boy, is this gadget hot. Well, sort of. It was surprisingly not that hot considering it was smaller than a paperback book and running Windows Vista.

The Model 02 was announced a couple of weeks ago at CES, and the upgrades from the Model 01 are noticeable, especially the scroll sensor on the bottom right of the display, which makes browsing large Web pages like Crave a breeze. Its 800x480-pixel screen can handle a fair amount … Read more

Any modern homebuilder will tell you that the kitchen has increasingly become the most important gathering place in many houses, even more than a family or living room. New construction reflects that lifestyle change, often building computer hutches and other non-cooking facilities into the design, yet PC makers typically treat the room as an afterthought. (Water near the keyboard? Horrors!)

The "Icebox," however, is designed specifically for use in this ostensible danger zone. The wireless keyboard and remote are fully washable, according to Appliancist, but if you still don't want grubby little mitts all over them you … Read more

VMware showed off some of the fruits of its Fusion project to bring its virtualization software to Apple Computer's Intel-based Macs on Tuesday at the Macworld show in San Francisco.

The software lets Linux, Windows, Solaris and NetWare operating systems run in compartments called virtual machines on Apple systems, a feature handy for using software not available on Apple machines or for programmers or testers who need to use multiple products.

The final version of the software will ship in the summer, at which point VMware will announce prices, the company said. The beta version is freely downloadable from … Read more

It would seem that AMD's marketing department has been outworking engineering lately. We thought AMD might use CES to strike back at Intel and its competitor's runaway hit, the Core 2 Duo processor. Instead of new chips, however, AMD sat us down to talk about a new logo. Still with us? Good. You'll soon be seeing Better by Design stickers on Vista laptops and desktops. The Better by Design logo is AMD's seal of approval that a system will provide a satisfying Vista experience in terms of overall performance and, for laptops, fast wireless connectivity.

The … Read more

When you think of sleek and sexy cell or smart phones, chances are you probably don't think of Nokia. However, we're betting you'll change your mind once you take a look at the company's new Nokia N76. Heck, it even stopped us in our tracks.

The newest addition to the company's N series, the N76 boasts a beautiful and slim design (available in sleek black or hot red) yet manages to pack in a boatload of features. There's a 2-megapixel camera, a built-in music player (supports Windows DRM, MP3, WAV, MIDI, M4A, AAC, eAAC+ … Read more

It's not exactly quad-core for the masses, but Intel this morning released a lower-end, non-Extreme, quad-core desktop CPU. The Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 joins the Core 2 Extreme QX6700, Intel's first quad-core desktop chip, which it released last November. The new quad-core part is very similar to the preceding Extreme chip. it's priced just $150 less, at $851. And like the Extreme QX6700, the Q6600 features 8MB of L2 cache and operates on a 1066MHz front-side bus. The Q6600 is clocked at 2.4GHz compared with the QX6700's 2.66GHz clock speed. The biggest difference … Read more