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CES 2008 Video: Samsung’s 2263DX Sidecar Monitor

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Accessories, CES, CES 2008, Features, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Podcasts, Videocasts,

Check the video above for details on Samsung‘s new 2263DX dual monitor setup. The 2263DX features a large display much like the standard displays computer users interact with every day, but also includes a smaller secondary monitor which is mounted on an arm allowing it to be placed above the main monitor or too either of the sides. This secondary monitor allows for short bits of information to be viewed at a glance. Windows sideshow, email account summaries, web video conferencing and other information that is useful to have displayed at all times are ideal for this monitor as they do not take up valuable working real-estate from the main monitor. The main monitor features standard DVI, VGA, and HDMI connections, but to simplify connection the smaller monitor is connected via USB and contains a miniature USB video card.

CES 2008 Video: VoodooPC $22,000 24k Gold Omen AU PC

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Accessories, CES, CES 2008, Design, Features, Home Entertainment, Music, Podcasts, Videocasts,

At VoodooPC‘s section of HP‘s CES booth, we got a look and some specs about their Elemental series Omen AU, a completely gold-plated PC, covered in 24 karat gold. Sporting the classic Voodoo wiring job and with support for up to triple SLI, the entirely water-cooled, quad-core system seriously rocks. The price tag is enough to by a nice car, however, at $22,000. Only two have been sold thus far, but I imagine Flava-Flav will be calling to have them put one on a chain soon enough.

Sure you’ll need a second mortgage to enjoy this system, but it’s one of the few pieces of technology on the floor you can say will actually increase in value over time. (The price of gold rising dramatically lately.)

Hit the video and see it first-hand, and check out our photo gallery for some up-close pics.

Lenovo To Release Trio of Notebooks in U.S.

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, PC / Laptop,

China’s Lenovo has finally introduced its first computers in the States since it bought out IBM in 2005, although they now sell them in China, Singapore, and India. Their 3 new notebooks feature software with user recognition for log-in without a password and multimedia tech for music, images, and videos. They will be available in a choice of black, red, or blue. One of them has debuted at a price of $799.00, another will be out towards the end of the month for ~$1,199.00, with a third to come in April. Lenovo will also be selling them in other countries after the unveiling here.

Unboxing Live 026: HP Pavilion HDX Dragon Entertainment Notebook PC

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, PC, Portable Video, Videocasts,

In this episode, we open up the HP Pavilion HDX Dragon PC. This thing is a monster - a 20.1-inch notebook that specializes in home entertainment, sporting dual-lamp displays and weighing in at 15.5 pounds. Other stats of note on the HDX Dragon are the 64-bit Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB included memory (it supports up to 4GB), HP Imprint casing (looks very sleek), and fingerprint reader for security.

Since it’s a computer geared towards entertainment, the video card should also be mentioned. The HDX Dragon ships with a 512MB ATi Mobility Radeon HD2600 XT. That means that you get DirectX 10 support out of the box. Continuing on the whole entertainment meme, it also has a built-in HD DVD-ROM drive, allowing you to play back your HD DVD movies at 1080p.

Finally we have the connections, which are too many for us to go through - so we will let HP tell the story here:

The HDX comes with 4 USB 2.0 ports, an Express Card/54 slot (which also supports Express Card/34), an HDMI port, an S-Video, a VGA, an RJ-11, an RK-45, an IEEE 1394 FireWire, and a Consumer IR. A 5-in-1 digital media Card reader supports Secure Digital, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, MultiMediaCard, and xD-Picture Cards. You get an eSATA port for high-speed data transfer to external storage devices up to six times faster than existing solutions, which is perfect for high-def video content recording. There’s an integrated 802.11a/g/b/pre-N plus Bluetooth for highest-speed wireless connections. And the adjustable webcam with integrated microphones lets you capture still photos and short videos and for live video chat.

So yeah - they packed a lot into this machine. Now hit the video to actually see how it all came together.

Let us know what you think, or what you want us to unbox next!

The Circuit Board Mini Photo Album

Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Accessories,

Circuit Board Photo Album So we recently told you about the diskette notepad, made of actual floppy disks and lined paper. Clearly jealous, circuit boards are now seeking their share of the limelight, as you can now buy photo albums (remember those?) with a front and back cover made of these recycled computer parts. Each album has six plastic wallets that hold twelve 2.5 x 3” photos. What techie geek or digital camera-phile wouldn’t love this? Available for $17 USD.

Read More | Acorn Studios via Chip Chick

Dell Uses Celebs for Xmas Hype

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Editorial, Hot Deals, PC / Laptop,

Dell has decided on a new “Star Power” strategy to get you what you want this season, as long as it is one of their products. After you create your wish list on YoursIsHere and set up a virtual piggy bank through a PayPal account, celebrities Burt Reynolds, Chuck Liddell, Brooke Burke, Estelle Harris, Ice-T, or Vivica A. Fox will try to obtain it for you. Create a widget on social networking sites and watch the coinage mount up. We like the concept, but think we will wait until it is duplicated by Apple or Sony.

Does This Mark the Demise of the PC?

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Editorial, Handhelds, PC / Laptop, Video Games,

catnap on computer It would appear that the PC’s popularity is lessening in Japan, as overall shipment has declined for the last five quarters. Taking its place are flat panel TVs and cell phones, according to analyst Masahiro Katayama. He added that kids there spend more time using their phones, advanced game consoles, and smart phones to access the Internet than computers. PC makers have taken to marketing low end products in countries for have those who will become first time users. While we suspect that this trend will continue, there is no way that we could ever completely give up our comfortable QWERTY keyboard and widescreen monitors for tiny finger pads and minuscule displays.

OLPC Doesn’t Reach Expectations

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, PC / Laptop,

OLPC Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child vision seems to have hit a snag. Although the computer was supposed to cost a mere $100.00, the price has doubled since its release on its Web site. This is partially due to fewer orders for the plastic encased device than expected. Its 1.1 version software should become available December 7 but there is no exact date for the units themselves. Apparently what was to be worldwide distribution has been narrowed down to only Uruguay and Mongolia. It seems to us that there would be plenty of room for sales right here in the States, where many children are also without computers.

ISI Maps Internet

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Internet, Misc. Tech, Science,

USC’s Information Sciences Institute really needs to get a life. Beginning in 2003, the researchers began collecting data. They eventually created a map of the Internet. Their ISI computers searched about 2.8 billion IPs and received about 187 million answers. They then used one dot per addy and came up with a diagram of 9 x 9 feet, the brighter images showing the area of the greater number of computers.

John Heidemann, head of the project, says that the map is actually only a portion of what is out there since some computers may have been shut off or behind a firewall, but hopes it will help researchers study the spread of viruses. A 24 x 36-inch version of the map (with about 65,000 addresses squeezed into one dot) will become available, so contact ant@isi.edu if you would like to get a copy.

Vixta: The Vista of Linux?!

Posted by Sparky Categories: Design, Internet, Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Software,

Crazy about the Windows Vista UI, but love Linux? Vixta could be your your thing. Vixta is a new Fedora-based Linux distribution featuring a surprisingly Windows Vista like look and feel. In fact, it’s so surprisingly like Windows Vista that Redmond based lawyers can’t be far behind - it’s a pretty blatant rip of the Aero interface.

While Vixta captures the look of Vista, one wonders if it’s truly as evolved as Vista is. Windows Vista may have it’s flaws, but ove all it is a highly polished operating system with lots of features to make it easy to use for the not so computer literate. No, really. This kind of refinement in a user interface takes a lot of time and energy to develop. The Linux underpinnings might be rock solid, but if Vixta’s stated goal is bringing Linux to the masses, it’s the chrome that will make a difference.

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