mini

Qualcomm debuts 3G Linux mini-notebook

Qualcomm has introduced a mini-notebook made by Taiwan-based Inventec that costs around $299 and is equipped with 3G connectivity, according to IDG News Service.

Unlike the ASUS Eee PC, which comes in both Linux and Windows XP operating systems, Qualcomm's mini-notebook will initially run on Linux, though the company is also looking at using Windows Mobile 7 with its Snapdragon chipsets.

All these are still on the drawing board, but "similar products could be out by the end of this year," said Luis Pineda, senior vice president at Qualcomm. The company hopes to make a big bang … Read more

Acer aspires to lead low-cost laptop race

After months as the subject of speculation in the media, Acer will introduce its own low-cost mini-notebook PC at the Computex trade show in Taipei on Tuesday.

The device will be called the Acer Aspire One, as expected. It will come with an Intel Atom processor, and run Linpus Linux Lite, with Acer's own user interface. Other specs include: an 8GB solid-state drive, 512MB of RAM, 802.11 b/g WiFi, an 8.9-inch screen, and a standard 3-hour battery.

The Aspire One will be available beginning July 2 for $379. Later that month, a version running Windows XP … Read more

Report: Sony to make low-cost mininotebook

Sony is prepping a notebook based on Via's OpenBook reference design, PC World is reporting.

At the WiMax Expo taking place in Taipei, contract manufacturer Quanta Computer showed a mini-laptop based on Via's just-released design that will be out in the third quarter of this year. A sharp-eyed reporter spotted Sony as the listed manufacturer for the device. When questioned, Quanta representatives apparently clammed up, and it doesn't appear Sony will be commenting either.

The mini notebook has an 8.9-inch screen, at least an 80GB hard drive, will use a 1.6-Gigahertz C7-M processor from Via, … Read more

This week in laptops

The Eee PC launch went so swimmingly, now everyone is jumping into the pool. Dell's looking ready to make a splash with a mini Inspiron netbook, seen in the hands of Michael Dell himself at this week's All Things D conference. (Dell offered virtually no details on the product, except to say it is the "perfect device for the next billion Internet users.") Acer seems to be dipping its toes into the shallow end, with the rumored Aspire One netbook. MSI's Wind mininotebook sat poolside for a photo shoot. And champion swimmer Asus confirmed to … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 734: Rev3 gets P2P poisoned

Revision3 goes down under a massive DDOS attack that apparently originated with a company that the entertainment industry hires to poison P2P wells. Nice. Good tactic, guys. Also, we have a good geeky little time talking about itty-bitty little flash devices and chips. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 734

Inside the Attack that Crippled Revision3 http://revision3.com/blog/2008/05/29/ inside-the-attack-that-crippled-revision3

Mozilla "Download Day" - Are you in or out? Mozilla "Download Day" - Are you in or out? http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1965 http://tech.slashdot.org/tech/08/05/29/0312233.shtml… Read more

Buffalo LinkStation Mini: Network storage device goes pocket size

I've tested and reviewed a good amount of NAS devices and found them generally bulky. Even those we consider "compact", like the Synology DS107+ or the D-Link DNS 323, are still in no way close to being able to fit in your pocket. This is why I let out a big "wow" today when I saw Buffalo's newest kid on the NAS block. The LinkStation Mini immediately and totally changed my expectation in regard to how tiny a network storage device can be!

By tiny I refer strictly to the form factor. Having the … Read more

Google Mini enterprise search appliance gets a boost

The Google Mini search appliance got a booster shot Tuesday with the addition of three new features and support for six additional languages.

Google, which has been building up its enterprise presence for several years now, is bolting on to Google Mini file system access control, source biasing, and date biasing.

File system access control is designed to let Google Mini crawl through files housed in shared drives and dish them up as search results to authorized users.

Source biasing aims to give users the ability to rank URLs based on the location and type of documents they're seeking, … Read more

Via opens up its mini-notebook design

Chip designer Via Technologies unveiled its OpenBook Mini-Note reference design on Monday, in a move that throws some open source into its core business of developing chips for mobile devices.

The OpenBook design aims to aid PC makers in creating ultra-small notebooks based on Via's Ultra Mobility Platform. Last year, the company trotted out its Via NanoBook reference design, a prototype designed to compete against rivals in the small-computer market but at a lower cost.

"By making the CAD files of the external panels for the OpenBook available for download, Via has simplified design customization. You can now … Read more

Facebook adds more services to Mini-Feed

Facebook users can now import YouTube, StumbleUpon, Pandora, Hulu, Last.fm, and Google Reader into the social network's Mini-Feed.

By doing this, Facebook users will be opening up their actions at these sites to their friends. The service, which was announced on Facebook's blog on Friday, is similar to one offered by FriendFeed.

Facebook had already included Flickr, Picasa, Digg, Yelp, and Del.icio.us. in Mini-Feed. Facebook executives have said that it intends to focus on adding data from third-party sites.

A mouse that Lilliputians would appreciate

Even in the world of ever-shrinking gadgets, small doesn't always mean better. Especially where ergonomics are concerned.

Brando's wireless mini-mouse measures less than 2.7 inches long and would be absolutely tiny to the average person as indicated by this photo, unless Andre the Giant was moonlighting as the hand model. It's definitely portable, as GeekAlerts says, weighing barely an ounce and easily carried in a pocket.

In fact, it might be too portable--we'd be afraid of losing it among the loose change. The real problem, however, is one of functionality: There's no way we … Read more