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Here's another trend for 2008: From micro-loans to micro-vacations, micro-celebrities to micro-trends, speed dating to speed cooking: the "long tail" world of consumers is becoming smaller and shorter. Products, services, and experiences are being deconstructed in easier-to-digest, easier-to-afford bits, allowing consumers to collect even more experiences, as often as possible, in an even shorter time frame. Shrinking attention spans have prompted the rise of what Wired Magazine calls "snack-size media," and the hyper-personalization of online communication has led to new formats (micro-blogs, widgets, feeds, texting, etc.) that challenge long-held marketing conventions.

The emerging "economy … Read more

As an Internet worker, I surf hundreds of different Web sites daily. A good portion of those--including online e-mail services, Web-based work tools, and members-only message boards--require a log-in information before I can gain access. In addition to sites and services that require only a login and password, I also occasionally need to fill out forms when I register for software, sign-up for a new service, or buy something online.

You might think it's not a huge amount of trouble to fill in log-in information, but if you're like most people, you use the same password (or a … Read more

RoboForm is a popular browsing companion that saves time and finger flexing by filling your passwords and data into online forms and log-ins. Your personal data is securely stored, of course.

Watch RoboForm in action in the First Look video below. The RoboForm trial lets you use the full-featured version of the software, with a limit of ten passwords, two identities, and one profile. If you want unlimited data storage, you'll need to purchase the full version for $29.95.

Slimmed-down PCs are hot right now. But most of the innovation in tiny computers is taking place in the notebook and mobile-phone industries, not the stodgy enterprise desktop space.

No matter, Lenovo has announced that it will launch a tiny, 45-watt desktop computer the size of a phone book. It's called the ThinkCentre A61e, or "Blue Sky," and it will be primarily aimed at businesses and customers overseas--where they still buy desktops.

The company has bestowed the "Blue Sky" moniker to denote its green qualities. Lenovo says its power supply is 85 percent efficient, and … Read more

Heading into the long weekend, Resizable Form Fields and Auto Copy are two Firefox extensions that might do for your browsing experience what the extra day off hopefully will do for you.

… 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

The jury is still out on whether the EFPs (explosively formed projectiles) wreaking havoc in Iraq are home-brewed or made in Iran. But one thing's certain: The U.S. military is no slouch when it comes to meting out the molten metal.

The M2 Selectable Lightweight Attack Munition (SLAM) has been mass-produced by Alliant Techsystem for the U.S. Army since 1990. Like its jihadi counterpart, the M2 consists of a circular explosive with a shallow cavity fitted within a thin metallic liner at the business end. Upon detonation, the liner morphs into a lethal, molten slug that can … Read more

At CES 2007, AMD announced a plan to standardize the motherboard, chassis and basic components for those popular "small-form-factor" PCs. The goal of its new DTX standard is to help component and system makers focus on common layouts for motherboard inputs, mounting holes and other design elements to encourage more companies to carry Shuttle-style and even smaller PCs. Motherboard manufacturers Asus and MSI have already committed to producing DTX hardware, and AMD expects to send a reference design to system builders some time this quarter.

If you recall Intel's BTX initiative, you'll remember that it was … Read more

One of the best examples of everything that's right about this whole Web 2.0 thing is WuFoo, the service that makes creating a Web form -- and collecting data from it -- about as simple as dreaming up a few questions. Recently I heard about a similar site, AskItOnline, that is being designed for the somewhat different job of collecting data from surveys.

I wasn't going to write about AskItOnline just yet since the site is still in closed beta and many necessary features haven't yet been built. But I saw it pop up on Del.icio.us, … Read more